Shloka 1

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

अर्वाक्स्रोतस् तु कथितो भवता यस् तु मानुषः ब्रह्मन् विस्तरतो ब्रूहि ब्रह्मा तम् असृजद् यथा

Transliteration

arvāksrotas tu kathito bhavatā yas tu mānuṣaḥ brahman vistarato brūhi brahmā tam asṛjad yathā

Translation

O Brahman, you have spoken of the ‘downward-current’ creation—the human order. Now tell me in full: in what manner did Brahmā bring mankind into being?

Word by Word

• अर्वाक्स्रोतः: the downward-current (arvāksrotas)
• अर्वाक्स्रोतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्वाक् (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अर्वाक्-स्रोतस्’ = downward-current (a class of beings)

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

• कथितः: has been described
• कथितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथित (कथ्-धातुज कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• भवता: by you (honored sir)
• भवता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• यः: which; who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

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

• मानुषः: human
• मानुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective)

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विस्तरतः: in detail
• विस्तरतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘in detail’

• ब्रूहि: tell; speak
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• असृजत्: created
• असृजत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• यथा: how; in what manner
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक (how/as)

Speaker

Maitreya (questioning Sage Parāśara)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Maitreya

Topic: How Brahmā produced the ‘arvāksrotas’ (downward-current) human creation

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: inquisitive

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The human order is a specific stream of creation (arvāksrotas) whose origin in Brahmā’s creative act is to be explained systematically.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Approach tradition with disciplined inquiry—ask for sources, sequence, and purpose rather than isolated claims.

Vishishtadvaita: Frames human society within a divinely ordered cosmos, implying dharma as participation in the Lord’s governance through Brahmā’s delegated creation.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Humankind (Manuṣya)
• Arvāksrotas (category of creation)

FAQs

What is the significance of the term Arvāksrotas in the Vishnu Purana?

Arvāksrotas is the Purāṇic label for the human stream of creation—“downward-flowing”—marking mankind as a distinct category within the ordered sequence of sargas.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the origin of humans in this section?

This verse introduces Maitreya’s request for a detailed account; Parāśara’s ensuing explanation (in the chapter) narrates how Brahmā, as the secondary creator, brings forth mankind within the wider cosmic process governed by higher divine order.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Brahmā is named as the immediate creator, the Vishnu Purana’s framework treats such creation as operating under the sovereignty of the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—as the ultimate ground of cosmic order.