Shloka 29

Adhyaya 45 — Jaimini’s Cosmological Questions and the Opening of Markandeya’s Account of Primary Creation

Sanskrit

तस्मै हिरण्यगर्भाय लोकतन्त्राय धीमते ।

प्रणम्य सम्यग्वक्ष्यामि भूतवर्गमनुत्तमम् ॥

Transliteration

tasmai hiraṇya-garbhāya loka-tantrāya dhīmate |

praṇamya samyag vakṣyāmi bhūta-vargam anuttamam ||

Translation

Après avoir rendu un hommage approprié à ce Hiraṇyagarbha—sage, régulateur de l’ordre du monde—je décrirai maintenant avec justesse les catégories insurpassables des êtres/éléments.

Word by Word

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; dative ‘to him’

• हिरण्यगर्भाय: to Hiraṇyagarbha
• हिरण्यगर्भाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘Hiraṇyagarbha (golden-embryo)’

• लोकतन्त्राय: to the world-order/regulator
• लोकतन्त्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + तन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘to the regulator/system of the world’

• धीमते: to the wise one
• धीमते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective ‘wise/intelligent’ used substantively

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त; ‘having bowed’

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय; adverb ‘properly, well’

• वक्ष्यामि: I shall speak
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; ‘I shall speak’

• भूतवर्गम्: the class of beings
• भूतवर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘group/class of beings’

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying भूतवर्गम् ‘unsurpassed’

Speakers

• Narrator-speaker beginning the main doctrinal exposition after invocation

Primary Deities

• Hiraṇyagarbha (often identified with Brahmā)

Key Themes

• Cosmic embryo (Hiraṇyagarbha)
• World-order (tantra)
• Taxonomy of beings/elements
• Doctrinal correctness (samyak)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse links wisdom (dhī) with cosmic governance (loka-tantra): understanding reality is presented as participation in order rather than mere speculation.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sarga/Pratisarga: announces a structured account of categories (bhūta-varga), typical of creation narratives that enumerate principles and beings.

What is the esoteric significance?

Hiraṇyagarbha symbolizes the undifferentiated total mind/intellect from which differentiated categories arise; ‘samyag’ suggests right-seeing—accurate discrimination of tattvas.