Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

इत्य् एते कथिताः सर्गाः षड् अत्र मुनिसत्तम प्रथमो महतः सर्गो विज्ञेयो ब्रह्मणस् तु सः

Transliteration

ity ete kathitāḥ sargāḥ ṣaḍ atra munisattama prathamo mahataḥ sargo vijñeyo brahmaṇas tu saḥ

Translation

Thus, O best of sages, the six kinds of creation have been declared here. Know that the first among them is the creation of Mahat—indeed, it is the creation pertaining to Brahman, the Supreme Reality.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative/closure particle)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथिताः: have been described
• कथिताः: Karta (Predicate participle/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• सर्गाः: creations, emanations
• सर्गाः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (Numeral adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (संख्यावाचक) पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deshadhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: 'here')

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मुनिषु सत्तमः)

• प्रथमः: the first
• प्रथमः: Visheshana (Adjective of sarga/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• महतः: of Mahat (the Great principle)
• महतः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• सर्गः: creation, emanation
• सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• विज्ञेयः: is to be known
• विज्ञेयः: Vidhi (Predicative obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विधेय (to be known)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā/Brahman
• ब्रह्मणः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

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

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

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Enumeration of the six creations (ṣaḍ-sarga) and primacy of Mahat as the first

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Creation unfolds in ordered stages; the first is Mahat, identified as the foundational creative manifestation associated with the Supreme Reality.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Study the ordered structure of experience—mind/intellect before sense-objects—to discern causality and reduce confusion in practice.

Vishishtadvaita: Positions Brahman (Vishnu) as the ground of the first evolute (Mahat), supporting a real, governed unfolding rather than illusory appearance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the significance of Mahat (cosmic intellect) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Mahat as the first creation, marking the initial intelligible principle from which further cosmic manifestation proceeds.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of creation here?

He frames creation as sixfold and states that the first category is the creation of Mahat, grounding the sequence in a principled cosmological order.

What is the theological importance of Brahman in this context?

By calling the first creation ‘of Brahman,’ the verse underscores that all emanation ultimately rests on the Supreme Reality—understood in the Vishnu Purana’s Vaishnava lens as the highest sovereign source.