Shloka 26

Adhyāya 42 — Mahābhūta–Indriya–Adhyātma-Vyavasthā

Brahmā’s Instruction on Elements and Faculties

Devanagari script

प्रजन: सर्वभूतानामुपस्थो<ध्यात्ममुच्यते

Transliteration

prajanaḥ sarvabhūtānām upastho 'dhyātmam ucyate

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „Die zeugende Kraft, durch die alle Wesen hervorgebracht werden, heißt upastha, das Fortpflanzungsorgan; und in der inneren Betrachtung gilt sie als ein Prinzip des adhyātma.“

Word by Word

प्रजनःprocreation; generation (offspring-producing power)

सर्वभूतानाम्of all beings

उपस्थःthe lap; the generative organ

अध्यात्मम्as pertaining to the self; in the inner (spiritual) sense

उच्यतेis said; is called

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse identifies procreation as a specific inner principle: the reproductive faculty (upastha) is not merely anatomical but is categorized within adhyātma analysis as a fundamental power responsible for the continuation of life among all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is explaining an adhyātma-oriented classification of bodily functions and inner principles, defining ‘upastha’ in terms of its universal role in generation (prajana) for all creatures.