Shloka 35

वासुदेवस्वरूपनिरूपणं—सर्गक्रमश्च

Vāsudeva’s Nature and the Ordered Process of Creation

Devanagari script

वैकारिकस् तैजसश् च भूतादिश् चैव तामसः त्रिविधो ऽयम् अहंकारो महत्तत्त्वाद् अजायत

Transliteration

vaikārikas taijasaś ca bhūtādiś caiva tāmasaḥ trividho 'yam ahaṃkāro mahattattvād ajāyata

Translation

From Mahat-tattva arose Ahaṃkāra, threefold in nature: the sāttvika called Vaikārika, the rājasa called Taijasa, and the tāmasa termed Bhūtādi—the seed from which the elements proceed.

Word by Word

• वैकारिकः: sāttvika (vaikārika)
• वैकारिकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैकारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (masc nom sg; adjective)

• तैजसः: rājasa (taijasa)
• तैजसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (masc nom sg; adjective)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• भूतादिः: bhūtādi (the source of elements)
• भूतादिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आदिः) (masc nom sg; genitive tatpurusha)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• तामसः: tāmasa (of tamas)
• तामसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (masc nom sg; adjective)

• त्रिविधः: threefold
• त्रिविधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (त्रयः विधाः यस्य) (masc nom sg; ‘threefold’)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (masc nom sg; pronoun)

• अहंकारः: ego (ahaṃkāra)
• अहंकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहं + कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अहमिति कारः) (masc nom sg; ‘ego-principle’)

• महत्तत्त्वात्: from mahat-tattva
• महत्तत्त्वात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महत् तत्त्वम्) (neut abl sg; from the great principle)

• अजायत: arose/was produced
• अजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (3rd sg; was born/arose)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sarga: the unfolding of tattvas from Pradhāna through Mahat into Ahaṃkāra and its three guṇic modes

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ahaṃkāra arises from Mahat and differentiates into sāttvika, rājasa, and tāmasa modes that become the proximate bases for further manifestation.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Contemplate how egoic identification (ahaṃkāra) conditions perception and action, and cultivate discernment to loosen its guṇic compulsions.

Vishishtadvaita: The tattva-chain is real yet dependent, implying a world-process grounded in the Supreme as the inner ruler and ultimate cause.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Mahat-tattva
• Ahaṃkāra
• Vaikārika
• Taijasa

FAQs

What is the significance of threefold Ahaṃkāra in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse defines Ahaṃkāra as arising from Mahat and splitting into three guṇa-based forms, establishing the framework by which mind-senses and elements can emerge in the creation (Sarga) sequence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the progression from Mahat to the elements?

He states that Mahat gives rise to Ahaṃkāra, whose tāmasa aspect (Bhūtādi) becomes the causal basis for the elemental manifestation, while the other aspects support higher faculties in the cosmic evolution.

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

Even while using Sāṃkhya-like categories, the Vishnu Purana frames cosmic evolution as part of Vishnu’s sovereign ordering of reality—tattvas unfold within the supreme ground of the Divine.