Shloka 55

Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu

Sanskrit

जित्वा समस्तां पृथिवीं तामसाख्यः स पार्थिवः ।

तामसाख्यो मनुरभूत्तस्य मन्वन्तरं शृणु ॥

Transliteration

jitvā samastāṃ pṛthivīṃ tāmasākhyaḥ sa pārthivaḥ / tāmasākhyo manurabhuttasya manvantaraṃ śṛṇu

Translation

Habiendo conquistado toda la tierra, aquel rey llamado Tāmasa llegó a ser el Manu denominado Tāmasa. Escucha ahora acerca de su Manvantara.

Word by Word

• jitvā: having conquered
• jitvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; धातु: जि (to conquer)

• samastām: entire, whole
• samastām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘pṛthivīm’

• pṛthivīm: the earth
• pṛthivīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• tāmasa-ākhyaḥ: (he) named Tāmasa
• tāmasa-ākhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/नामधारक: ‘tāmasa’ इति आख्या यस्य/यः

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• pārthivaḥ: the king
• pārthivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to saḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• tāmasa-ākhyaḥ: Tāmasa by name
• tāmasa-ākhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

• manuḥ: Manu
• manuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• abhūt: became
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘of him/that’

• manu-antaraṃ: Manvantara (Manu-period)
• manu-antaraṃ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मनोः अन्तरम् = मन्वन्तरम्

• śṛṇu: hear (listen)
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speakers

• Markandeya narrating (didactic shift into Manvantara listing)

Key Themes

• Manvantara chronology
• Royal conquest as legitimizing motif
• Cosmic administration through Manus

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Purāṇic view links righteous sovereignty with cosmic stewardship: a Manu is not merely a ruler, but an organizer of dharma for an age.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Directly Manvantara: the text explicitly transitions to describing the Tāmasa Manvantara and its constituent deities, Indra, sages, and sons.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Conquering the earth’ can signify mastery over the field (kṣetra)—stabilizing the material plane so that dharma can be promulgated across the age.