Shloka 26

Sṛṣṭi–Pratisṛṣṭi: Viṣṇu as Kāla and the Ninefold Creation Schema

Devanagari script

सा चोत्सृष्टाभवत्सन्ध्या दिननक्तान्तरस्थितिः / रजोमात्रां तनुं गृह्य मनुष्यास्त्वभवंस्ततः

Transliteration

sā cotsṛṣṭābhavatsandhyā dinanaktāntarasthitiḥ / rajomātrāṃ tanuṃ gṛhya manuṣyāstvabhavaṃstataḥ

Translation

അവൾ പുറപ്പെടുവിക്കപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ സന്ധ്യയായി—പകലും രാത്രിയും തമ്മിലുള്ള ഇടസ്ഥിതി. രജോമാത്രമായ സൂക്ഷ്മദേഹം ധരിച്ചു അവിടെ നിന്നു മനുഷ്യർ ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (body)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-निपात

• उत्सृष्टा: released/let go
• उत्सृष्टा: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + सृज् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि/PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘उत्+सृज्’

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सन्ध्या: twilight
• सन्ध्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिननक्तान्तरस्थितिः: the state between day and night
• दिननक्तान्तरस्थितिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक) + नक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (दिन-नक्तयोः अन्तर-स्थितिः)

• रजोमात्राम्: consisting only of rajas
• रजोमात्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रजसः मात्रा)

• तनुम्: body
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृह्य: having taken
• गृह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (ल्यप्/त्वा-प्रत्यय, अव्यय-भाव/gerund), ‘ग्रह्’ धातोः

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• अभवन्: came into being
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Humans arise from rajas: our condition is inherently active and transitional; twilight symbolizes the need for regulation of impulses through ritual and discipline.

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-traya anthropology: rajas as pravṛtti (outgoing activity) binding the jīva; dharma as a harmonizer at transitions.

Application: Honor transitions (morning/evening) with pause: prayer, breath, reflection; manage rajasic restlessness with routine, ethical action, and mindful boundaries.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: temporal threshold

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.4.27 (prāk-sandhyā/jyotsnā as junction)

Characters & Entities

• Sandhyā
• Manuṣyāḥ

FAQs

What is the importance of Sandhyā (twilight) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies Sandhyā as the liminal junction between day and night and links that transitional principle to manifestation—showing creation arising from a boundary-state rather than a fixed extreme.

How does this verse explain the origin of human beings?

It states that humans arise after Sandhyā is manifested, with a body described as rajo-mātra—predominantly constituted of rajas—highlighting activity, passion, and dynamism as central to human embodiment.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Recognize rajas (restlessness, craving, over-activity) as a key driver in human life and cultivate balance through disciplined action, ethical restraint, and regular Sandhyā-time practices (morning/evening reflection or prayer).