Shloka 27

मन्वन्तर-क्रमः (अतीत-सप्तमन्वन्तराः) तथा मन्वन्तरावताराः

Devanagari script

आप्याः प्रसूता भव्याश् च पृथुगाश् च दिवौकसः महानुभावा लेखाश् च पञ्चैते ह्य् अष्टका गणाः

Transliteration

āpyāḥ prasūtā bhavyāś ca pṛthugāś ca divaukasaḥ mahānubhāvā lekhāś ca pañcaite hy aṣṭakā gaṇāḥ

Translation

Āpyā, Prasūtā, Bhavyā, Pṛthugā, and the heaven-dwelling Divaukasa—together with the venerable Mahānubhāva and Lekhā: these five groupings are indeed counted among the Aṣṭakā hosts.

Word by Word

• आप्याः: Āpyas (a class)
• आप्याः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; (गण-नाम)

• प्रसूताः: Prasūtas
• प्रसूताः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसूत (कृदन्त; √सू धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past participle used as noun)

• भव्याः: Bhavyas
• भव्याः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (गण-नाम)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पृथुगाः: Pṛthugas
• पृथुगाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (गण-नाम)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• दिवौकसः: Divaukasas (heaven-dwellers)
• दिवौकसः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दिवि ओकः यस्य/दिव-ओकस् = ‘heaven-dwellers’)

• महानुभावाः: greatly powerful
• महानुभावाः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महान् + अनुभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् अनुभावः = great in power/majesty)

• लेखाः: Lekhas
• लेखाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (गण-नाम)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: विशेषण (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (numeral indeclinable)

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• अष्टकाः: Aṣṭakas
• अष्टकाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (गण-नाम)

• गणाः: groups
• गणाः: सम्बन्ध (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Names and classifications of deva-hosts (gaṇas) serving in the sixth Manvantara

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: cataloguing, precise

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Cakshusha (6th)

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The cosmos is upheld by structured celestial orders (gaṇas) appointed for each Manvantara.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See social and inner life as requiring disciplined ‘gaṇas’—ordered faculties and duties—rather than chaos; cultivate harmony through right grouping and prioritization.

Vishishtadvaita: Multiplicity of real divine functionaries operates within the one Lord’s governance, aligning plurality with overarching unity.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Characters & Entities

• Aṣṭakā-gaṇas
• Āpyāḥ
• Prasūtāḥ
• Bhavyāḥ
• Pṛthugāḥ
• Divaukasaḥ
• Mahānubhāvāḥ
• Lekhāḥ

FAQs

What is the significance of the Aṣṭakā hosts (Aṣṭakā-gaṇas) in the Vishnu Purana?

They are a structured set of celestial groupings named and counted to show that the universe runs through ordered classes and cycles, reflecting dharma and cosmic administration under the Supreme Lord’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain these celestial classes to Maitreya?

Parāśara teaches by enumeration—listing distinct gaṇas such as Āpyā, Prasūtā, and others—so Maitreya can understand the cosmos as a disciplined hierarchy rather than a random collection of beings.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic framework assumes these ordered hosts function within Vishnu’s supreme governance, expressing a cosmos sustained by a single highest reality.