Shloka 22

Adhyaya 48 — The Emanation of Beings from Brahma: Night, Day, Twilight, and the Orders of Creation

Sanskrit

सर्पणात्तेऽभवन् सर्पा हीनत्वादहयः स्मृताः ।

सर्पान् दृष्ट्वा ततः क्रोधात् क्रोधात्मानो विनिर्ममे ॥

Transliteration

sarpaṇātte 'bhavan sarpā hīnatvād ahayaḥ smṛtāḥ | sarpān dṛṣṭvā tataḥ krodhāt krodhātmāno vinirmame ||

Translation

Por su movimiento reptante llegaron a ser llamados “serpientes”; y por su bajeza se les recuerda como “ahayaḥ”. Al ver a las serpientes, movido por la ira, creó seres cuya propia naturaleza es la cólera.

Word by Word

• sarpaṇāt: from crawling/creeping
• sarpaṇāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• abhavan: became
• abhavan: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, Aorist/Past), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sarpāḥ: serpents
• sarpāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• hīnatvāt: due to inferiority/deficiency
• hīnatvāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hīnatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• ahayaḥ: snakes (ahis)
• ahayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• smṛtāḥ: were called/considered
• smṛtāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त, Past Passive Participle), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); passive sense ‘were called/considered’

• sarpān: serpents
• sarpān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्ययकृदन्त)

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• krodhāt: from anger; out of anger
• krodhāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• krodha-ātmānaḥ: whose nature was anger; anger-natured
• krodha-ātmānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘krodhaḥ ātma yasya/yeṣām’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vinirmame: created/produced
• vinirmame: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-nir-mā (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, Perfect), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Narratorial cosmology within Markandeya Purana’s discourse frame (exact speaker depends on edition’s framing dialogue)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "raudra", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Brahmā (implied as creator)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sarga (creation)
• Etymological explanation (nirukti)
• Origins of species

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse links temperament and form: certain beings arise associated with specific guṇic impulses (here, krodha). It implicitly cautions that ungoverned anger generates destructive tendencies and ‘species’ of behavior.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily Sarga (creation), specifically a sub-strand of secondary creation describing classes of beings and their naming through nirukti-style etymology.

What is the esoteric significance?

Serpentine movement symbolizes tamas-bound consciousness (low, earth-hugging). ‘Krodhātmānaḥ’ suggests that anger crystallizes into autonomous forces—inner afflictions becoming outer adversaries.