Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

गायत्रं च ऋचश् चैव त्रिवृत्साम रथन्तरम् अग्निष्टोमं च यज्ञानां निर्ममे प्रथमान् मुखात्

Transliteration

gāyatraṃ ca ṛcaś caiva trivṛtsāma rathantaram agniṣṭomaṃ ca yajñānāṃ nirmame prathamān mukhāt

Translation

Aus jenem uranfänglichen Mund formte der Herr zuerst das Gāyatrī-Metrum und die Ṛk-Hymnen; er ließ das Trivṛt-Sāman und den Rathantara-Gesang hervorgehen und setzte das Agniṣṭoma ein—das vornehmste unter den Opfern—damit die Ordnung des Yajña am Anfang der Schöpfung stehe.

Word by Word

• गायत्रम्: Gāyatra (chant/metre)
• गायत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ऋचः: Ṛk-verses
• ऋचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• त्रिवृत्साम: Trivṛt Sāman
• त्रिवृत्साम: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवृत् + सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (त्रिवृत्-साम)

• रथन्तरम्: Rathantara (Sāman)
• रथन्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्निष्टोमम्: Agniṣṭoma (sacrifice)
• अग्निष्टोमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निष्टोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अग्नि-ष्टोम)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• यज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices
• यज्ञानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• निर्ममे: he created/formed
• निर्ममे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मा (धातु) + निर् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रथमान्: the first
• प्रथमान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (yajñānām)

• मुखात्: from (the) mouth
• मुखात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Gayatri
• Rigveda (Ṛk)
• Samaveda (Sāman)
• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What is the significance of Gāyatrī and Vedic sound in the Vishnu Purana’s creation account?

This verse presents sacred metre and hymn as primordial—Vishnu establishes creation through ordered speech (chandas and ṛc), making Veda a foundation of cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the origin of yajña (sacrifice)?

Parāśara frames yajña as instituted at the very start: the chief sacrifice (Agniṣṭoma) is ‘made first,’ indicating that ritual order and dharma are built into creation.

What is Vishnu’s theological role here in Vaishnava philosophy?

Vishnu appears as the supreme source who emanates Veda and yajña—not merely as a deity within the cosmos, but as the transcendent ground that establishes and sustains universal law.