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Shloka 35

Mind as Charioteer; Kṣetrajña, Tapas, and Dhyāna-Yoga

Adhyātma-Upadeśa

बीजधर्म तथाव्यक्तं प्रसवात्मकमेव च । बीजधर्मा महानात्मा प्रसवश्चेति नः श्रुतम्‌,अव्यक्त प्रकृति कारणरूपा भी है और कार्यरूपा भी। इसी प्रकार महत्तत्त्वके भी कारण और कार्य दोनों ही स्वरूप सुने गये हैं

bījadharma tathāvyaktaṃ prasavātmakam eva ca | bījadharmā mahānātmā prasavaś ceti naḥ śrutam |

Vāyu said: “The Unmanifest (Avyakta) is spoken of as having the nature of a seed and as being productive—bringing forth creation. Likewise, the Great Principle (Mahat) too is heard of as both seed-like (a causal ground) and as ‘production’ (an effect that further generates).”

बीजधर्मthe principle having the nature of seed (causal potency)
बीजधर्म:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबीजधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तथाand likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
अव्यक्तम्the unmanifest (prakṛti)
अव्यक्तम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रसवात्मकम्having the nature of production/emanation
प्रसवात्मकम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रसवात्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
एवindeed
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
बीजधर्माseed-natured; possessing causal potency
बीजधर्मा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबीजधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
महानात्माthe great self (mahat-tattva)
महानात्मा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहानात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रसवःproduction; emanation
प्रसवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootप्रसव (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
इतिthus
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
नःof us; to us
नः:
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormGenitive, Plural
श्रुतम्has been heard (by us); we have heard
श्रुतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootश्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPerfect (resultative past sense via past passive participle), Singular

वायुदेव उवाच

V
Vāyudeva
A
Avyakta
M
Mahat

Educational Q&A

The verse presents a causal chain in which the Unmanifest (Avyakta) and the Great Principle (Mahat) are each described as both cause (seed-like ground) and effect (a produced stage that itself produces further evolutes). It emphasizes layered causality: what is ‘born’ can still function as a ‘seed’ for what follows.

Vāyudeva is instructing the listener in a philosophical exposition (Sāṅkhya-like) about the origins of manifestation, explaining how Avyakta and Mahat are traditionally understood as simultaneously causal and productive principles within the unfolding of creation.