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Shloka 37

Vidura’s Questions on Devotion and Sarga; Maitreya Begins the Account of Creation

भूतानां नभ आदीनां यद्यद्भव्यावरावरम् । तेषां परानुसंसर्गाद्यथासंख्यं गुणान् विदु: ॥ ३७ ॥

bhūtānāṁ nabha-ādīnāṁ yad yad bhavyāvarāvaram teṣāṁ parānusaṁsargād yathā saṅkhyaṁ guṇān viduḥ

O gentle one, from the sky (ether) down to the earth, whatever higher or lower qualities appear in the elements arise only from the final touch of the merciful glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in due order.

भूतानाम्of the beings/elements
भूतानाम्:
सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; Genitive plural
नभःether/sky
नभः:
विशेष्य/उद्देश्य (topic within genitive set)
TypeNoun
Rootनभस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (stem: नभस्)
आदीनाम्of those beginning with (ether etc.)
आदीनाम्:
सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
TypeAdjective
Rootआदि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th), बहुवचन; Genitive plural; ‘and the rest, beginning with…’
यत्whatever
यत्:
सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (relative)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘whatever’
यत्whatever (each)
यत्:
सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (relative)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; repetition for distributive sense
भव्यfuture/coming-to-be
भव्य:
विशेषण (adjectival)
TypeAdjective
Rootभव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; qualifying the following compound
अवरlower
अवर:
विशेषण
TypeAdjective
Rootअवर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; part of paired expression
अवरम्(and) higher/other; varied
अवरम्:
विशेषण
TypeAdjective
Rootअवर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; completes ‘avarāvaram’ (lower and higher/varied)
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th), बहुवचन; Genitive plural
परfrom the other/previous
पर:
अपादान (Ablative/अपादान)
TypeAdjective
Rootपर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (ablative sense in compound with following)
अनुसंसर्गात्from (their) subsequent contact/association
अनुसंसर्गात्:
अपादान (source/cause)
TypeNoun
Rootअनुसंसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमीविभक्ति (5th), एकवचन; Ablative singular
यथाaccording to
यथा:
क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमान/रीति-अर्थे adverb ‘according to’
सङ्ख्यम्in due order/number
सङ्ख्यम्:
क्रियाविशेषण (manner/measure)
TypeNoun
Rootसङ्ख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (सङ्ख्या-शब्द), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular used adverbially ‘in order/number’
गुणान्qualities
गुणान्:
कर्म (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootगुण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; Accusative plural
विदुः(they) know
विदुः:
क्रिया (Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootविद् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘they know’
V
Vidura
M
Maitreya

FAQs

This verse explains that elements beginning with ether develop higher-to-lower forms by successive association, and their distinct qualities appear in a specific order.

Vidura asked about the Lord’s creative energies; Maitreya answers by describing how the elements and their qualities manifest systematically under the Supreme Lord’s arrangement.

It helps one see the body and world as ordered, temporary material transformations, encouraging detachment and a turn toward devotion to the Supreme beyond matter.