Shloka 53
अध्याय १६ — शङ्कर-उमा-वरदानम् तथा तण्डि-स्तुतिः (Śaṅkara–Umā Boon-Granting and Taṇḍi’s Hymn)
प्रधानं महदव्यक्तं विशेषान्तं सवैकृतम् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं भूतादि सदसच्च यत्
pradhānaṃ mahad avyaktaṃ viśeṣāntaṃ savaikṛtam | brahmādistambaparyantaṃ bhūtādi sadasacca yat ||
वायु बोले—प्रधान, महत्तत्त्व, अव्यक्त, और विकारों सहित विशेषपर्यन्त समस्त तत्त्व; ब्रह्मा से लेकर तृण-स्तम्ब (घास के तिनके) तक; भूतों का आदि, तथा जो सत् और असत् (व्यक्त-अव्यक्त) है—यह सब (उस व्यापक तत्त्व में) समाहित है।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a Sāṅkhya-style totality: from the unmanifest root (pradhāna/avyakta) through cosmic intellect (mahat) and subsequent evolutes down to the smallest visible forms. It emphasizes that reality spans both manifest (sat) and unmanifest (asat) domains, encouraging a comprehensive, non-narrow view of existence.
Vāyu is speaking in a didactic context, enumerating fundamental categories of existence. The statement functions as a philosophical catalog—mapping the hierarchy from the highest creator figure (Brahmā) to the humblest life-form (grass)—to frame the scope of what is being discussed or contemplated.