Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

पद्भ्याम् अन्याः प्रजा ब्रह्मा ससर्ज द्विजसत्तम तमःप्रधानास् ताः सर्वाश् चातुर्वर्ण्यम् इदं ततः

Transliteration

padbhyām anyāḥ prajā brahmā sasarja dvijasattama tamaḥpradhānās tāḥ sarvāś cāturvarṇyam idaṃ tataḥ

Translation

O best of the twice-born, from the feet Brahmā brought forth other beings, in whom tamas predominated; from that very differentiation arose the fourfold order, the cāturvarṇya.

Word by Word

• पद्भ्याम्: with (his) feet
• पद्भ्याम्: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), द्विवचन; 'पद' = foot

• अन्याः: other
• अन्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्रजाः: creatures, progeny
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Object), बहुवचन

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

• ससर्ज: created
• ससर्ज: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; 'द्विजानां सत्तमः'

• तमःप्रधानाः: tamas-dominant
• तमःप्रधानाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; 'तमः प्रधानम् यसाम्' (tamas-predominant)

• ताः: those (they)
• ताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• चातुर्वर्ण्यम्: the fourfold social order
• चातुर्वर्ण्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वर्ण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ततः: thereupon, then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Account of creation and the arising of differentiated beings and social order (cāturvarṇya)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Social differentiation (cāturvarṇya) is presented as arising from cosmic creation and as a framework for ordered duty.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Align one’s work with responsibility and integrity rather than impulse, treating society as sustained by disciplined roles.

Vishishtadvaita: Order in the world is meaningful as part of the Lord-governed cosmos, where differentiated functions serve a unified whole.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Dvija (twice-born)

FAQs

What is the significance of cāturvarṇya in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, cāturvarṇya is presented as arising from creation’s differentiation, linking social order to cosmic order and the distribution of qualities (guṇas).

How does Sage Parāśara explain the role of the guṇas here?

Parāśara describes certain progeny as tamaḥ-pradhāna (tamas-dominant), implying that types of beings and functions manifest according to the predominance of guṇas in creation.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in this line, the Vishnu Purana frames Brahmā’s creative acts as operating within the Supreme Reality of Vishnu, who underwrites and sustains the universal order that creation expresses.