Shloka 1
Adhyāya 189: Japa—Inquiry into the Jāpaka, Method
Vidhi), and Fruit (Phala
- जैसे लोहा दाहक एवं दीप्तिमान् हो उठता है
bharadvāja uvāca | asṛjad brāhmaṇān eva pūrvaṁ brahmā prajāpātīn | ātma-tejobhinirvattān bhāskarāgni-samaprabhān ||
Bharadvāja berkata: Pada awal penciptaan, Brahmā, Penguasa makhluk, mula-mula melahirkan para Brāhmaṇa—para Prajāpati seperti Marīci—yang terbit dari cahaya batinnya sendiri, berkilau laksana matahari dan api.
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents creation and social-cosmic order as arising from tejas (spiritual radiance): the earliest progenitors are described as emanations of Brahmā’s inner power, implying that authority and function (especially of the Brahmin/Prajāpati archetype) are ideally rooted in luminosity, discipline, and creative responsibility rather than mere birth alone.
Bharadvāja introduces a cosmogonic account: at the start of creation, Brahmā first produces the Brahmins/Prajāpatis (e.g., Marīci), who shine like the sun and fire, setting the stage for a broader explanation of the origin and differentiation of beings and social categories.