Shloka 3

Adhyaya 48 — The Emanation of Beings from Brahma: Night, Day, Twilight, and the Orders of Creation

Sanskrit

देवाद्याः स्थावरान्ताश्च प्रजा ब्रह्मंश्चतुर्विधाः ।

ब्रह्मणः कुर्वतः सृष्टिं जज्ञिरे मानसास्तदा ॥

Transliteration

devādyāḥ sthāvarāntāś ca prajā brahmaṃś caturvidhāḥ |

brahmaṇaḥ kurvataḥ sṛṣṭiṃ jajñire mānasās tadā ||

Translation

Wahai Brahmana, makhluk—mulai dari para dewa hingga yang tak bergerak—berjumlah empat golongan. Ketika Brahma sedang melakukan penciptaan, mereka pun muncul sebagai makhluk manojā, yakni terlahir dari pikiran.

Word by Word

• देव-आद्याः: those beginning with the gods
• देव-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘देवाः आद्याः येषाम्’ (starting with gods)

• स्थावर-अन्ताः: ending with the immobile beings
• स्थावर-अन्ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘स्थावराः अन्ताः येषाम्’ (ending with immovables)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• प्रजाः: creatures/subjects
• प्रजाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman
• ब्रह्मन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चतुर्विधाः: fourfold
• चतुर्विधाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (fourfold)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कुर्वतः: (of him) doing/creating
• कुर्वतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुर्वत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘(ब्रह्मणः) कुर्वतः’ = while doing

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• जज्ञिरे: were born/arose
• जज्ञिरे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मानसाः: mind-born
• मानसाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तदा: then
• तदा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya speaking

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sarga
• Mind-born creation
• Classification of beings

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Creation is presented as proceeding first through subtle ideation (mānasa-sṛṣṭi). The taxonomy of beings is not random but structured, implying an ordered cosmos with intelligible gradations.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sarga (primary creation): the initial emergence of categories of beings from Brahmā’s creative act.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Mind-born’ indicates that the subtle precedes the gross: consciousness/ideation is the proximate cause for manifested differentiation.