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

おおブラーフマナよ、被造のものは—神々に始まり不動のものに至るまで—四種であった。ブラフマーが創造を行っていたとき、それらは心より生まれた存在として現れた。

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.