Shloka 18

Adhyaya 49 — Primordial Human Creation, the Rise of Desire, and the Origins of Settlements, Measures, and Agriculture

Sanskrit

सर्वकालसुखः कालो नात्यर्थं घर्मशीतता ।

कालेन गच्छता तेषां चित्रा सिद्धिरजायत ॥

Transliteration

sarvakālasukhaḥ kālo nātyarthaṃ gharmaśītatā /

kālena gacchatā teṣāṃ citrā siddhirajāyata

Translation

Time was pleasant at all times; heat and cold were not excessive. As time moved on for them, a wondrous set of perfections (siddhis) arose.

Word by Word

• sarva-kāla-sukhaḥ: pleasant at all times
• sarva-kāla-sukhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa of kālaḥ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: sarveṣu kāleṣu sukhaḥ (pleasant in all times)

• kālaḥ: time; season
• kālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Pratiṣedha-avyaya (प्रतिषेध)

• ati-artham: excessively
• ati-artham: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva (अव्ययीभाव) used adverbially; meaning 'excessively/too much'

• gharma-śītatā: (extreme) heat and cold
• gharma-śītatā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gharma (प्रातिपदिक) + śīta (प्रातिपदिक) + -tā (ताप्रत्यय)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); dvandva sense: heat-and-coldness (hot/cold condition)

• kālena: by time; with time
• kālena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• gacchatā: passing; going on
• gacchatā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa / Sati-saptamī-like sense (भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) (गम्)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present participle/शतृ), Tṛtīyā (Instrumental/तृतीया), Ekavacana; Puṃliṅga/napuṃsaka possible by agreement; here instrumental absolute-like: 'as time passes'

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठी), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• citrā: wonderful; remarkable
• citrā: Viśeṣaṇa of siddhiḥ (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; agrees with siddhiḥ

• siddhiḥ: attainment; success; accomplishment
• siddhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• ajāyata: arose; came into being
• ajāyata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु) (जन्)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purana’s cosmological account (frame-speaker not specified in provided excerpt)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Siddhi
• Mythic climatology
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Harmony in the external world (balanced climate) mirrors inner ease, enabling effortless attainments. Yet the text hints that such conditions are time-bound—Kāla both grants and later withdraws.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sarga/Pratisarga-oriented cosmological description, with a secondary Manvantara flavor (conditions prevailing in an epoch).

What is the esoteric significance?

Balanced ‘heat and cold’ suggests equilibrium of dualities (dvandva-śānti). Siddhi here can be read as spontaneous capacities arising when dualities are pacified.