Shloka 3

ईशा वै सर्वलोकस्य वसवस्ते च वै कथम्‌ | मानुषेषूदपद्यन्त तन्‍्ममाचक्ष्व जाहल्नवि,जाह्नवि! वसु तो समस्त लोकोंके अधीश्वर हैं, वे कैसे मनुष्यलोकमें उत्पन्न हुए? यह सब बात मुझे बताओ

Īśā vai sarvalokasya vasavas te ca vai katham | mānuṣeṣūd apadyanta tan mamācakṣva jāhnavī, jāhnavī ||

Vaiśampāyana said: “The Vasus are indeed lords of all the worlds. How, then, did they come to be born among human beings? Tell me this fully, O Jāhnavī—O descendant of Jahnu (Gāṅgā).”

ईशाःlords, rulers
ईशाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootईश (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (निपात)
सर्वलोकस्यof the whole world
सर्वलोकस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootसर्वलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
वसवःthe Vasus
वसवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवसु (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तेthey
ते:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (निपात)
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै (निपात)
कथम्how?
कथम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
मानुषेषुamong humans / in the human world
मानुषेषु:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative, Plural
उदपद्यन्तwere born / arose
उदपद्यन्त:
TypeVerb
Rootउद्+पद् (धातु)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
तत्that (matter)
तत्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
ममto me / for me
मम:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive, Singular
आचक्ष्वtell, explain
आचक्ष्व:
TypeVerb
Rootआ+चक्ष् (धातु)
FormImperative (Loṭ), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada
जाह्नविO Jāhnavī (Ganga)
जाह्नवि:
TypeNoun
Rootजाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Vocative, Singular
जाह्नविO Jāhnavī
जाह्नवि:
TypeNoun
Rootजाह्नवी (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Vocative, Singular

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
V
Vasus
J
Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā)

Educational Q&A

Even exalted beings may enter human birth due to the workings of cosmic law—often through a curse, a vow, or a destined purpose—showing that status does not exempt one from consequence and narrative necessity.

The narrator raises a key question: since the Vasus are world-rulers among the gods, by what cause did they take birth in the human realm? He asks Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā) to explain the circumstances leading to their human incarnation.