Shloka 15
Dhruva Uses the Nārāyaṇāstra; Manu Checks His Wrath and Teaches Dharma
भूतै: पञ्चभिरारब्धैर्योषित्पुरुष एव हि । तयोर्व्यवायात्सम्भूतिर्योषित्पुरुषयोरिह ॥ १५ ॥
bhūtaiḥ pañcabhir ārabdhair yoṣit puruṣa eva hi tayor vyavāyāt sambhūtir yoṣit-puruṣayor iha
This material creation begins from the five elements; from them the bodies of woman and man are fashioned. By the union of woman and man, progeny in this world increases.
When Svāyambhuva Manu saw that Dhruva Mahārāja understood the philosophy of Vaiṣṇavism and yet was still dissatisfied because of his brother’s death, he gave him an explanation of how this material body is created by the five elements of material nature. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also confirmed, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni: everything is created, maintained and annihilated by the material modes of nature. In the background, of course, there is the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā ( mayādhyakṣeṇa ). In the Ninth Chapter, Kṛṣṇa says, “Under My superintendence material nature is acting.” Svāyambhuva Manu wanted to impress on Dhruva Mahārāja that the death of the material body of his brother was not actually the Yakṣas’ fault; it was an act of the material nature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead has immense varieties of potencies, and they act in different gross and subtle ways.
FAQs
This verse states that both male and female bodies are constructed from the five material elements (pañca-bhūtas), highlighting the body’s material nature rather than the soul’s identity.
In the context of calming Dhruva after the Yakṣa conflict, Manu teaches him to see bodily life as material and temporary, so that anger and vengeance subside and dharma is restored.
By remembering that the body is a material combination and relationships often revolve around bodily identity, one can reduce ego-driven reactions, act more ethically, and focus on lasting spiritual practice and devotion.