Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

गौर् अजः पुरुषो मेषा अश्वाश्वतरगर्दभाः एतान् ग्राम्यान् पशून् आहुर् आरण्यांश् च निबोध मे

Transliteration

gaur ajaḥ puruṣo meṣā aśvāśvataragardabhāḥ etān grāmyān paśūn āhur āraṇyāṃś ca nibodha me

Translation

The cow, the goat, man, the sheep, the horse, the mule, and the donkey—these are proclaimed as domestic animals; now learn from me also of those that dwell in the wild.

Word by Word

• गौः: cow
• गौः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अजः: goat
• अजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरुषः: man
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मेषाः: rams/sheep
• मेषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अश्वाश्वतरगर्दभाः: horses, mules, and donkeys
• अश्वाश्वतरगर्दभाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + अश्वतर + गर्दभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• एतान्: these
• एतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• ग्राम्यान्: domestic
• ग्राम्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्राम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

• पशून्: animals
• पशून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आहुः: they call/say
• आहुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• आरण्यान्: wild/forest-dwelling
• आरण्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

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

• निबोध: understand/know
• निबोध: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative singular) रूप; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Classification of created beings (domestic vs wild; orders of life)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Creation includes an ordered differentiation of embodied life into intelligible classes, reflecting īśvara’s governance of the world.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate discernment (viveka) by observing order in nature and applying it to ethical living and stewardship.

Vishishtadvaita: The world’s structured plurality is a real mode (prakāra) of the Supreme, not illusory; classification presupposes a purposeful divine order.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Cow
• Goat
• Sheep
• Horse
• Mule
• Donkey
• Human beings

FAQs

What is the significance of classifying domestic and wild animals in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents creation as an ordered system, where beings are grouped by habitat and human relationship (village vs. forest), reflecting dharma and cosmic arrangement.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the categories of creatures here?

He lists representative domestic animals first (including humans in the settled sphere) and then signals a transition to describing forest-dwelling (wild) beings.

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

Even in a practical taxonomy, the Purāṇa frames the world as Vishnu’s ordered manifestation—diversity of life is shown as structured, intelligible creation under the Supreme Reality.