Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

एतानि सृष्ट्वा भगवान् ब्रह्मा तच्छक्तिचोदितः ततः स्वच्छन्दतो ऽन्यानि वयांसि वयसो ऽसृजत्

Transliteration

etāni sṛṣṭvā bhagavān brahmā tacchakticoditaḥ tataḥ svacchandato 'nyāni vayāṃsi vayaso 'sṛjat

Translation

Having thus brought these into being, the Blessed Brahmā—impelled by that divine power—then, of his own accord, generated other classes of birds, each according to its kind and stage of life.

Word by Word

• एतानि: these (things/beings)
• एतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन — सर्वनाम

• सृष्ट्वा: having created
• सृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — “having created”

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तच्छक्तिचोदितः: impelled by that power
• तच्छक्तिचोदितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + चोदित (चुद्/चोद् धातु, क्त)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष): तस्याः शक्त्या चोदितः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रभव अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — “then/from there”

• स्वच्छन्दतः: spontaneously, at will
• स्वच्छन्दतः: Hetu/Prayojana (Manner/Cause nuance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वच्छन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — “of one’s own will/spontaneously”

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वयांसि: birds
• वयांसि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वयसः: from (his) age/prime (or from the body called ‘vayas’)
• वयसः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• असृजत्: created, produced
• असृजत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Account of creation—how species arise through Brahmā under divine impetus

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahmā creates classes of beings impelled by higher śakti, while diversity unfolds according to inherent kinds and stages.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See variety as purposeful order; align personal actions with one’s svabhāva in service of dharma.

Vishishtadvaita: Secondary creators act as instruments of the Supreme; agency is real yet dependent, consistent with śeṣa-śeṣin (dependent–Lord) relation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakti (divine power)

FAQs

What is the significance of Brahmā being 'impelled by divine śakti' in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames Brahmā’s creation as secondary and dependent—his activity proceeds through a higher divine power, reinforcing the Purana’s theology of supreme sovereignty behind cosmic order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the ordering of living beings in this creation passage?

Parāśara presents creation as structured: species arise in classes, and even within a class (here, birds) they are produced 'according to kind/condition' (vayasaḥ), indicating an intelligible cosmic taxonomy rather than randomness.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the idea of a governing śakti implies a supreme source directing Brahmā—consistent with Vaishnava cosmology where Vishnu is the ultimate ground and regulator of creation.