Shloka 6

मानससृष्टिः, रुद्रोत्पत्तिः, मन्वादिवंशः, प्रलयचतुष्टयम्

Devanagari script

नव ब्रह्माण इत्य् एते पुराणे निश्चयं गताः

Transliteration

nava brahmāṇa ity ete purāṇe niścayaṃ gatāḥ

Translation

Thus, in the Purāṇic tradition it is firmly concluded that there are nine Brahmās.

Word by Word

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nominative); बहुवचन; ब्रह्माणः इति विशेषण (numeral)

• ब्रह्माणः: Brahmās / creators (Brahmā-like beings)
• ब्रह्माणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• इति: thus, ‘so’
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन

• पुराणे: in the Purāṇa
• पुराणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• निश्चयम्: certainty, settled conclusion
• निश्चयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (Accusative); एकवचन; ‘गताः’ इत्यस्य कर्म (accusative of goal/state attained)

• गताः: have reached/attained
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle/क्त) प्रयुक्तः; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचन; एते इति कर्तृसमानाधिकरण; अर्थतः ‘प्राप्तवन्तः/प्राप्ताः’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Purāṇic conclusion regarding the nine ‘Brahmās’ (nine mind-born progenitors/Prajāpatis)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Purāṇic tradition fixes a doctrinal enumeration: the nine ‘Brahmās’ understood as principal progenitive powers in creation.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use scriptural tradition with discernment: understand technical terms (like ‘Brahmā’) by context and lineage of interpretation.

Vishishtadvaita: Emphasizes authoritative śāstra-pramāṇa and stable cosmic administration under the Supreme, accommodating many functionaries without denying unity.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Purāṇas

FAQs

What is the significance of “nine Brahmās” in the Vishnu Purana?

It indicates a Purāṇic cosmology where the office of Brahmā (the creator) is not a single once-for-all figure, but a recurring role across vast cycles of time, underscoring periodic creation and cosmic administration.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmological authority in this context?

By appealing to Purāṇic certainty (“niścaya”), Parāśara frames the teaching as an established doctrinal conclusion within the tradition, situating Brahmā’s role within a larger, cyclic cosmic order.

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

Even when multiple Brahmās are acknowledged, Vaishnava theology places Vishnu as the transcendent Supreme Reality who underlies and surpasses all secondary creators and cyclic manifestations of the cosmos.