Shloka 356
Adhyāya 42 — Mahābhūta–Indriya–Adhyātma-Vyavasthā
Brahmā’s Instruction on Elements and Faculties
जन्म द्वितीयमित्येतज्जघन्यतरमुच्यते । पसीनेसे उत्पन्न होनेवाले जू आदि कीट और जन्तु स्वेदज कहे जाते हैं। यह क्रमशः दूसरा जन्म पहलेकी अपेक्षा निम्न स्तरका कहा जाता है
janma dvitīyam ity etaj jaghanyataram ucyate |
Vāyu dit : « On appelle cela la “seconde naissance”, et l’on la décrit comme plus inférieure encore dans l’échelle des naissances. Les êtres nés de la sueur—tels les poux et autres minuscules insectes—sont dits “swedaja”. »
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a graded classification of births and states that the ‘second’ category is considered lower; in the surrounding explanation, sweat-born beings (svedaja)—like lice and similar insects—are treated as an inferior mode of embodiment, reflecting an ethical-cosmological hierarchy.
Vāyudeva is speaking and defining a category within a broader discussion on types of birth/creation; he labels the ‘second birth’ as comparatively inferior, with the accompanying gloss identifying it with sweat-born organisms.