Shloka 41

Adhyaya 76 — The Sixth Manvantara: Cakshusha Manu, the Child-Snatcher, and the Problem of Kinship

Sanskrit

तपस्यन्तं ततस्तञ्च प्राह देवः प्रजापतिः ।

किमर्थं तप्यसे वत्स ! तपस्तीव्रं वदस्व तत् ॥

Transliteration

tapasyantaṃ tatastañca prāha devaḥ prajāpatiḥ / kimarthaṃ tapyase vatsa! tapastīvraṃ vadasva tat

Translation

Kemudian, ketika ia tekun dalam tapa, dewa Prajāpati berkata kepadanya: ‘Wahai anak terkasih, untuk tujuan apakah engkau menjalankan tapa yang begitu keras ini? Katakan kepadaku.’

Word by Word

• tapasyantam: the one performing austerity
• tapasyantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tapas-yat (तपस् + यत् धातु; कृदन्त)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/न्त), Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; 'one who is doing penance'

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रम/कालवाचक)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āh (प्र + अह् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्) Perfect, Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa 3rd person, Singular

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• prajāpatiḥ: Prajāpati
• prajāpatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajāpati (प्रातिपदिक; components: prajā + pati)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; title/name

• kimartham: why
• kimartham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/why)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim-artha (प्रातिपदिक; components: kim + artha)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय) meaning 'for what purpose/why'

• tapyase: do you perform austerity / do you heat yourself (in penance)
• tapyase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (तप् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्) Present, Ātmanepada, Madhyama-puruṣa (मध्यमपुरुष) 2nd person, Singular

• vatsa: dear child
• vatsa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular

• tapas: austerity
• tapas: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular

• tīvram: intense
• tīvram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīvra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifies tapas

• vadasva: tell (me)
• vadasva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (वद् धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्) Imperative, Ātmanepada, Madhyama-puruṣa 2nd person, Singular

• tat: that (reason/purpose)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya narrating; Prajāpati speaks to Ānanda

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Prajāpati

Key Themes

• Divine testing/boon prelude
• Tapas and intention (saṅkalpa)
• Ascetic narrative motif

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Tapas is evaluated by its aim: the divine question highlights that intention (saṅkalpa) must be clarified—whether for worldly gain or for liberation-oriented purification.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A narrative-theological episode (deva-darśana) supporting dharma and mokṣa teaching; not a direct pañcalakṣaṇa segment.

What is the esoteric significance?

Prajāpati, as lord of creatures/progenitors, appears precisely when the aspirant rejects worldly ‘progeny/kinship’ fixation—signaling mastery over the generative principle and redirection toward liberation.