Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

अवयो वक्षसश् चक्रे मुखतो ऽजाः स सृष्टवान् सृष्टवान् उदराद् गाश् च पार्श्वाभ्यां च प्रजापतिः

Transliteration

avayo vakṣasaś cakre mukhato 'jāḥ sa sṛṣṭavān sṛṣṭavān udarād gāś ca pārśvābhyāṃ ca prajāpatiḥ

Translation

That Prajāpati brought forth sheep from his chest; from his mouth he manifested goats. From his belly he produced cows, and from his flanks as well he set diverse creatures into being.

Word by Word

• अवयः: sheep
• अवयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन

• वक्षसः: from the chest
• वक्षसः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• चक्रे: made, created
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मुखतः: from the mouth
• मुखतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) — “from the mouth”

• अजाः: goats
• अजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• सृष्टवान्: having created
• सृष्टवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (perfect participle active), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — “having created/creator”

• सृष्टवान्: having created
• सृष्टवान्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (पुनरुक्ति)

• उदरात्: from the belly
• उदरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय (conjunction)

• पार्श्वाभ्याम्: from the two sides/flanks
• पार्श्वाभ्याम्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान) / तृतीया (3rd/करण) द्विवचन; अत्र ‘from the two sides’ इति पञ्चमी-द्विवचनार्थः

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय

• प्रजापतिः: Prajāpati (Brahmā)
• प्रजापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Account of creation—emanation of domesticated animals from Prajāpati/Brahmā as instrument of the Supreme

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The differentiated world is arranged through purposeful emanation, with Prajāpati functioning as an instrument of the Supreme creative ordinance.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice stewardship: treat animals and resources as entrusted parts of a divinely ordered ecology.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms the Lord as jagat-kāraṇa with mediated creation—real plurality grounded in a single sovereign will.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati (Brahma)

FAQs

What is the significance of Prajāpati creating animals from different body parts in the Vishnu Purana?

It symbolizes an ordered, hierarchical creation where specific classes of beings arise in a structured way, reflecting a cosmos governed by intelligible law rather than randomness.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the process of creation (sarga) here?

Parāśara presents creation as sequential manifestation: Prajāpati brings forth distinct creatures from distinct loci, emphasizing purposeful differentiation within the larger cosmological narrative.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context even when Prajāpati is named as creator?

In Vaishnava reading, Prajāpati functions as an agent of secondary creation; the ultimate ground and sovereignty behind cosmic order remains Vishnu as the Supreme Reality.