Shloka 17

सर्गभेदाः — अविद्या, स्रोतोभेदाः, नव सर्गाः, देवासुरादिसृष्टिः, वेद-यज्ञप्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

यस्माद् अर्वाग् व्यवर्तन्त ततो ऽर्वाक्स्रोतसस् तु ते ते च प्रकाशबहुलास् तमोउद्रिक्ता रजोऽधिकाः

Transliteration

yasmād arvāg vyavartanta tato 'rvāksrotasas tu te te ca prakāśabahulās tamoudriktā rajo'dhikāḥ

Translation

From that source they turned downward; therefore they are called the ‘arvāksrotas’, the downward-flowing streams of creation. In them light is abundant, yet darkness rises strongly and rajas predominates; their nature is mixed—driven by rajas and veiled by tamas.

Word by Word

• यस्मात्: from which
• यस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अर्वाक्: downwards
• अर्वाक्: Kriya-visheshana (Directional adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्वाक् (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक (directional indeclinable: 'downwards')

• व्यवर्तन्त: they proceeded/turned forth
• व्यवर्तन्त: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमा-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; (√वृत् with उपसर्ग वि+आ)

• ततः: thereupon, from that
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/हेतुवाचक (thereupon/from that)

• अर्वाक्स्रोतसः: of the downward-flowing stream (class)
• अर्वाक्स्रोतसः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्वाक् + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ते: those (very)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रकाशबहुलाः: abounding in light
• प्रकाशबहुलाः: Visheshana (Adjective of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकाश + बहुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रकाशेन बहुलाः)

• तमः-उद्रिक्ताः: increased in darkness
• तमः-उद्रिक्ताः: Visheshana (Adjective of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् + उद्रिक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तमसा उद्रिक्ताः = increased in darkness)

• रजः-अधिकाः: predominant in rajas
• रजः-अधिकाः: Visheshana (Adjective of subject/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (रजसा अधिकाः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nature of the arvāksrotas beings and their guna-mixture (rajas/tamas with some light)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: analytical

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Embodied streams of creation are characterized by a mixed constitution where rajas predominates while tamas strongly veils, even as some prakasha (illumination) remains.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Observe how rajas-driven activity becomes clouded by tamas, and consciously cultivate sattva through disciplined habits and remembrance of the Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: Gunas belong to prakriti, yet their ordered manifestation is under the Supreme’s governance, allowing ethical cultivation within real embodiment.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Jagat Karana: Yes

FAQs

What is the significance of ‘arvāksrotas’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It denotes the downward-directed current of creation—beings oriented toward embodied, sense-bound life—defined by a mixed constitution of the guṇas.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of the guṇas here?

He characterizes this class of beings as having manifesting ‘light’ yet with heightened tamas and dominant rajas, indicating activity and desire under the veil of ignorance.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this cosmological description?

Even when not named in the verse, the Purāṇic framework treats these guṇa-based differentiations as operating under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—creation unfolds as ordered manifestation within His governing reality.