Shloka 88

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

Devanagari script

मैथुनेनैव धर्मेण सिसृक्षुर् विविधाः प्रजाः असिक्नीम् आवहत् कन्यां वीरणस्य प्रजापतेः सुतां सुतपसा युक्तां महतीं लोकधारिणीम्

Transliteration

maithunenaiva dharmeṇa sisṛkṣur vividhāḥ prajāḥ asiknīm āvahat kanyāṃ vīraṇasya prajāpateḥ sutāṃ sutapasā yuktāṃ mahatīṃ lokadhāriṇīm

Translation

Desiring to bring forth the many kinds of creatures through the ordained dharma of union, he took to wife Asiknī, the maiden daughter of the Prajāpati Vīraṇa—endowed with ascetic merit, great in virtue, and a steadfast bearer of the world’s order.

Word by Word

• मैथुनेन: by sexual union
• मैथुनेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निपात (emphasis)

• धर्मेण: by the rule/dharma
• धर्मेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• सिसृक्षुः: wishing to create
• सिसृक्षुः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: इच्छार्थक कृदन्त (सन्/सिसृक्षु), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Desiderative participial noun/adjective: ‘wishing to create’

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Nominative plural; विशेषण

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

• असिक्नीम्: Asiknī
• असिक्नीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असिक्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• आवहत्: brought, took (as wife)
• आवहत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Imperfect, 3rd sg.; उपसर्ग: आ

• कन्याम्: a maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular; अपपद-सम्बन्ध: ‘as a maiden’

• वीरणस्य: of Vīraṇa
• वीरणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• प्रजापतेः: of Prajāpati
• प्रजापतेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• सुताम्: daughter
• सुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• सुतपसा: with great austerity
• सुतपसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; ‘सु-तपस्’ = excellent austerity

• युक्ताम्: endowed, joined (with)
• युक्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Past passive participle used adjectivally

• महतीम्: great
• महतीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; विशेषण

• लोकधारिणीम्: supporter of the worlds
• लोकधारिणीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक + धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Accusative singular; ‘लोकं धारयति’ (world-supporting)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Transition from mental creation to procreation via dharmic union; Dakṣa’s marriage to Asiknī

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Maithuna, when governed by dharma, becomes a sacred instrument for sustaining cosmic and social order through responsible progeny and loka-dhāraṇa.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Householders can treat relationships, marriage, and family duties as disciplined dharma—guided by restraint, mutual respect, and responsibility.

Vishishtadvaita: World-sustaining duties (dharma) are not opposed to spirituality; they function as service within the Lord’s ordered cosmos (śeṣatva in action).

Characters & Entities

• Asiknī
• Vīraṇa (Prajāpati)
• Prajā (created beings)

FAQs

What is the significance of procreation “according to dharma” in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames creation as a lawful, sacred act—progeny arises not from mere desire but from dharma, aligning human-like generation with cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the expansion of beings in this chapter?

Parāśara describes creation through lineages and marriages among progenitors (Prajāpatis), showing how diverse beings arise via sanctioned unions and austerity-backed partners.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purana’s framework treats orderly creation and lineage as functioning under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—dharma becomes the visible instrument of the Supreme Reality sustaining the worlds.