Shloka 85

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

Devanagari script

प्रजाः सृजेति व्यादिष्टः पूर्वं दक्षः स्वयंभुवा यथा ससर्ज भूतानि तथा शृणु महामते

Transliteration

prajāḥ sṛjeti vyādiṣṭaḥ pūrvaṃ dakṣaḥ svayaṃbhuvā yathā sasarja bhūtāni tathā śṛṇu mahāmate

Translation

Formerly, Dakṣa—commanded by Svayambhū (Brahmā) with the charge, “Create the beings”—brought forth the orders of life. Hear now, O great-minded one, how he generated the creatures.

Word by Word

• प्रजाः: creatures, progeny
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• सृज: create
• सृज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; इति-उक्तौ (quoted command)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• व्यादिष्टः: having been instructed/commanded
• व्यादिष्टः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + आ + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि (one who was commanded)

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

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

• स्वयंभुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयंभुवा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयंभू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यथा: as, how
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: as/how)

• ससर्ज: created
• ससर्ज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूतानि: beings, entities
• भूतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• तथा: so, thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तदनुरूप/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (correlative: so/thus)

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मति (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महती मतिः यस्य)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Account of Dakṣa’s creation of beings under Svayambhū (Brahmā)’s command

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Manvantara: Svayambhuva

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Creation proceeds through delegated agency: Dakṣa generates beings in obedience to Svayambhū (Brahmā)’s directive.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Recognize layered responsibility—act as an instrument (nimitta) with humility, aligning work to higher purpose.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos operates by divinely empowered agents; secondary creators function as the Lord/Brahmā’s instruments within a real, ordered universe.

Characters & Entities

• Daksha
• Svayambhu (Brahma)
• Prajāḥ (progeny/beings)

FAQs

What is the significance of Daksha being commanded to create progeny in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames creation as an ordered, delegated process: Brahmā (Svayambhū) appoints Dakṣa as Prajāpati, through whom living lineages and species are systematically manifested.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the process of creation here?

Parāśara introduces a step-by-step account: he signals that he will narrate the specific manner (yathā) in which Dakṣa produced beings, continuing the cosmological sequence for Maitreya.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

Even when Brahmā and Prajāpatis appear as immediate agents, the Purāṇic framework ultimately situates all cosmic functions within Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty as the sustaining ground of order and manifestation.