Shloka 74

Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies

Devanagari script

स तु दक्षो महाभागः सृष्ट्यर्थं सुमहामते पुत्रान् उत्पादयाम् आस प्रजासृष्ट्यर्थम् आत्मनः

Transliteration

sa tu dakṣo mahābhāgaḥ sṛṣṭyarthaṃ sumahāmate putrān utpādayām āsa prajāsṛṣṭyartham ātmanaḥ

Translation

O most wise one, that greatly fortunate Dakṣa, for the sake of creation, set about begetting sons, so that through his own progeny the generation of beings might proceed.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधसूचक (particle)

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महाभागः: greatly fortunate
• महाभागः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• सृष्ट्यर्थम्: for the sake of creation
• सृष्ट्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे प्रयुक्तं (सृष्ट्यै अर्थः/सृष्टेः अर्थः)

• सुमहामते: O very wise one
• सुमहामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु+महामतिः)

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• उत्पादयाम्: produced/begot
• उत्पादयाम्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्+पद्/पादय् (धातु; causative of √पद्/√पद्-उत्पादयति)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect) periphrastic/परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative stem उत्पादय-; (उत्पादयाम् आस = produced)

• आस: did/was (aux.)
• आस: Kriya (Auxiliary/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सहायकक्रिया (auxiliary with periphrastic perfect)

• प्रजासृष्ट्यर्थम्: for the creation of beings
• प्रजासृष्ट्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक) + सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रजानां सृष्टेः अर्थः/प्रजासृष्ट्यै अर्थः)

• आत्मनः: of himself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Dakṣa proceeds to populate creation after his birth from Māriṣā and the Pracetas.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Creation proceeds through purposeful action aligned with one’s cosmic role (svadharma), here embodied by Dakṣa’s prajā-sṛṣṭi.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Do your responsibilities with clarity of purpose—work as service to the larger order rather than ego-display.

Vishishtadvaita: Individual roles are real and meaningful within the Lord’s body (jagat), serving the whole without negating distinctness.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: kartavya-niṣṭhā (steadfastness in duty)

Key Kings: Dakṣa

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Daksha
• Prajā (creatures/progeny)

FAQs

What is the significance of Daksha begetting sons in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Daksha’s progeny as a deliberate instrument of prajā-sarga—creation unfolding through orderly lineage rather than randomness.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the process of creation here?

Parāśara presents creation as proceeding through appointed progenitors (like Daksha) who generate offspring to expand populations, sustaining the cosmic sequence of manifestation.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s creation narrative implies an overarching sovereignty: the generative acts of Prajāpatis function within the higher cosmic order ultimately grounded in Vishnu as Supreme Reality.