Shloka 16

Nīlakaṇṭha-nāmotpatti-kathana

Origin of the Epithet “Nīlakaṇṭha”

Devanagari script

अहं कर्तास्मि लोकानां स्वयंभूर्विश्वतोमुखः / एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन ब्रह्मणाहमुवाच तम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ kartāsmi lokānāṃ svayaṃbhūrviśvatomukhaḥ / evamuktastadā tena brahmaṇāhamuvāca tam

Translation

He said: “I am the maker of the worlds—Svayambhū, facing all directions.” When Brahmā spoke thus, I then replied to him.

Word by Word

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; 1st person pronoun

• kartā: creator, doer
• kartā: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: tṛc-pratyaya (agent noun/कर्तृवाचक), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Uttama-puruṣa (1st person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• lokānām: of the worlds
• lokānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/6th), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• svayaṃ-bhūḥ: self-born
• svayaṃ-bhūḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayam (अव्यय) + bhū (धातु)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kṛdanta: √bhū with kvi/kvip (bhūḥ) ‘one who is’; samāsa: avyayībhāva (svayam = by oneself)

• viśvataḥ-mukhaḥ: facing all directions
• viśvataḥ-mukhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa of karta (कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśvatas (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; samāsa: avyayībhāva (viśvataḥ = on all sides) used adjectivally

• evam: thus
• evam: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• uktaḥ: (having been) spoken to / addressed
• uktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of following action; ‘having been addressed’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Kta-kṛdanta (past passive participle), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; from √vac ‘to say’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; temporal adverb

• tena: by him
• tena: Karaṇa / Kartṛ (करण/कर्तृ) (agent in passive sense with uktaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Kartṛ (कर्ता) (agent of addressing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Ekavacana

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada; (epic usage with 1st person subject possible)

• tam: to him / that one
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun