Shloka 48

सर्गभेदाः — अविद्या, स्रोतोभेदाः, नव सर्गाः, देवासुरादिसृष्टिः, वेद-यज्ञप्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

अवयो वक्षसश् चक्रे मुखतो ऽजाः स सृष्टवान् सृष्टवान् उदराद् गाश् च पार्श्वाभ्यां च प्रजापतिः

Transliteration

avayo vakṣasaś cakre mukhato 'jāḥ sa sṛṣṭavān sṛṣṭavān udarād gāś ca pārśvābhyāṃ ca prajāpatiḥ

Translation

Jener Prajāpati ließ Schafe aus seiner Brust hervorgehen; aus seinem Mund offenbarte er Ziegen. Aus seinem Bauch brachte er Kühe hervor, und aus seinen Flanken schuf er ebenfalls mannigfache Wesen.

Word by Word

• अवयः: sheep
• अवयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• वक्षसः: from the chest
• वक्षसः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, created
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मुखतः: from the mouth
• मुखतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — “from the mouth”

• अजाः: goats
• अजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• सृष्टवान्: having created
• सृष्टवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle active), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — “having created/creator”

• सृष्टवान्: having created
• सृष्टवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति)

• उदरात्: from the belly
• उदरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पार्श्वाभ्याम्: from the two sides/flanks
• पार्श्वाभ्याम्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान) / तृतीया (3rd/करण) द्विवचन; अत्र ‘from the two sides’ इति पञ्चमी-द्विवचनार्थः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (Brahmā)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati (Brahma)

FAQs

What is the significance of Prajāpati creating animals from different body parts in the Vishnu Purana?

It symbolizes an ordered, hierarchical creation where specific classes of beings arise in a structured way, reflecting a cosmos governed by intelligible law rather than randomness.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the process of creation (sarga) here?

Parāśara presents creation as sequential manifestation: Prajāpati brings forth distinct creatures from distinct loci, emphasizing purposeful differentiation within the larger cosmological narrative.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context even when Prajāpati is named as creator?

In Vaishnava reading, Prajāpati functions as an agent of secondary creation; the ultimate ground and sovereignty behind cosmic order remains Vishnu as the Supreme Reality.