Matsya Purana — Brahmā’s Four Faces, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वेदाभ्यासरतस्यास्य प्रजाकामस्य मानसाः मनसः पूर्वसृष्टा वै जाता यत् तेन मानसाः //

Transliteration

vedābhyāsaratasyāsya prajākāmasya mānasāḥ manasaḥ pūrvasṛṣṭā vai jātā yat tena mānasāḥ //

Translation

Weil er der Übung der Veden hingegeben war und Nachkommenschaft begehrte, wurden die Wesen zuerst aus seinem Geist erschaffen; da sie aus dem Geist geboren sind, heißen sie daher „mānasas“ (geistgeborene).

Word by Word

• veda-abhyāsa-rata: devoted to Vedic study/practice

• asya: of him/this one

• prajā-kāmasya: desiring offspring/creation

• mānasāḥ: mind-born beings

• manasaḥ: from the mind

• pūrva-sṛṣṭāḥ: first created

• vai: indeed

• jātāḥ: born/arisen

• yat: because/since

• tena: therefore/by that reason

• mānasāḥ: (they are) called mind-born

Speaker

• Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana’s cosmogony; traditional frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Veda
• Manas (mind)
• Prajā (progeny/creatures)

Tags

• Creation
• Manasa-sarga
• Vedic study
• Cosmogony
• Prajā

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

It describes an early mode of creation—mind-born creation (mānasāḥ)—where beings arise from the mind before other, more physical forms of generation are emphasized.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

By linking prajā (progeny/subjects) with Vedic discipline, it implies that orderly creation and social continuity are grounded in dharmic learning—an ideal mirrored in a king’s duty to sustain and protect his people through Vedic-aligned governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or iconographic rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is the primacy of Vedic practice (veda-abhyāsa) as the enabling condition for auspicious, ordered manifestation.