Shloka 5

Nāga–Nāgabhāryā Saṃvāda: Varṇa-Dharma, Gṛhastha-Discipline, and Mokṣa-Self-Inquiry

Mahābhārata 12.347

Devanagari script

ततस्तद्धावितो नित्यं यजे वैकुण्ठमव्ययम्‌ । तस्माच्च प्रसृत:ः पूर्व ब्रह्मा लोकपितामह:

Transliteration

tatastaddhāvito nityaṁ yaje vaikuṇṭham avyayam | tasmācca prasṛtaḥ pūrvaṁ brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ ||

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Daraufhin, unablässig von jenem (göttlichen Antrieb) gedrängt, verehre ich den unvergänglichen Vaikuṇṭha. Und aus Ihm ging am Anfang Brahmā hervor, der Ahnvater und Erzeuger der Welten.“

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter/from that
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: Ablatival adverb (from that/thereafter)

• तत्: that (act/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• धावितः: having run / impelled / set in motion
• धावितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: धाव्
• Form: Past passive participle, masculine, nominative, singular

• नित्यम्: always, constantly
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य
• Form: Adverbial accusative (indeclinable usage)

• यजे: I worship / I sacrifice to
• यजे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Present, Ātmanepada, 1st person, singular (optative/benedictive sense possible in context)

• वैकुण्ठम्: Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu)
• वैकुण्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ
• Form: Masculine, accusative, singular

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय
• Form: Masculine, accusative, singular (agreeing with वैकुण्ठम्)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: Ablatival adverb (from that)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Conjunction

• प्रसृतः: having proceeded/emanated
• प्रसृतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सृ
• Form: Past passive participle, masculine, nominative, singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly/earlier
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: Adverb

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• लोकपितामहः: the grandsire of the worlds
• लोकपितामहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-पितामह
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā
• the worlds (loka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms the imperishability and supremacy of Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu) as the ultimate object of worship, and presents a theistic cosmology in which Brahmā, the world-progenitor, proceeds from that Supreme source—grounding devotion in a hierarchy of origins.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada speaks in the first person, describing his continual worship of Vaikuṇṭha and stating a cosmogonic point: at the beginning, Brahmā—called the grandsire of the worlds—emanated from Vaikuṇṭha.