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Shloka 35

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

स्वायंभुवो मनुः पूर्वं धर्मान् प्रोवाच धर्मदृक् / साक्षात् प्रजापतेर्मूर्तिर्निसृष्टा ब्रह्मणा द्विजाः / भृग्वादयस्तद्वदनाच्छ्रुत्वा धर्मानथोचिरे

svāyaṃbhuvo manuḥ pūrvaṃ dharmān provāca dharmadṛk / sākṣāt prajāpatermūrtirnisṛṣṭā brahmaṇā dvijāḥ / bhṛgvādayastadvadanācchrutvā dharmānathocire

പൂർവകാലത്ത് ധർമ്മദർശിയായ സ്വായംഭുവ മനു ധർമ്മങ്ങളെ ഉപദേശിച്ചു. ബ്രഹ്മാവ് ഭൃഗു മുതലായ ദ്വിജ ഋഷികളെ പ്രജാപതിയുടെ മൂർത്തിപോലെ സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു; അവർ മനുവിന്റെ വദനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ധർമ്മങ്ങൾ കേട്ട് വീണ്ടും പ്രസിദ്ധപ്പെടുത്തി.

svāyaṃbhuvaḥSvāyambhuva (self-born)
svāyaṃbhuvaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootsvāyaṃbhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular); viśeṣaṇa of 'manuḥ'
manuḥManu
manuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootmanu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
pūrvamformerly, earlier
pūrvam:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + am (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
FormKriyāviśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverb)
dharmānduties, dharmas
dharmān:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative, 2nd), Bahuvacana (Plural)
provācaproclaimed, spoke forth
provāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + vac (धातु)
FormLiṭ (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada
dharmadṛkknower/seer of dharma
dharmadṛk:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootdharma + dṛś (प्रातिपदिक; dṛk = ‘seeing’)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of 'manuḥ'; (tatpuruṣa: dharmaṃ paśyati iti)
sākṣātdirectly, in person
sākṣāt:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsākṣāt (अव्यय)
FormNipāta/avyaya (particle/adverb)
prajāpateḥof Prajāpati
prajāpateḥ:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitival relation)
TypeNoun
Rootprajāpati (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive, 6th), Ekavacana
mūrtiḥembodiment, form
mūrtiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootmūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
FormStrīliṅga (Feminine), Prathamā, Ekavacana
nisṛṣṭāsent forth, created
nisṛṣṭā:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject) (as predicate adjective)
TypeAdjective
Rootni + sṛj (धातु) → nisṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
FormKta-participle (past passive participle), Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with 'mūrtiḥ'
brahmaṇāby Brahmā
brahmaṇā:
Karaṇa (करण/Instrument) / Kartṛ (agent in passive)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana
dvijāḥtwice-born (Brahmins etc.)
dvijāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana
bhṛgu-ādayaḥBhṛgu and others
bhṛgu-ādayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootbhṛgu (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; (tatpuruṣa: bhṛguḥ ādiḥ yeṣām te)
tatthat
tat:
Karma (कर्म/Object) (within sense of 'that')
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुṃsaka (Neuter), Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; used as pronoun in compound-context
vadanātfrom (his) mouth/speech
vadanāt:
Apādāna (अपादान/Ablative source)
TypeNoun
Rootvadana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुṃsaka, Pañcamī (Ablative, 5th), Ekavacana
śrutvāhaving heard
śrutvā:
Kriyā (क्रिया) (pūrvakāla/preceding action)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootśru (धातु) → śrutvā (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययकृदन्त)
FormKtvā (gerund/absolutive), avyaya; pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
dharmānduties, dharmas
dharmān:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootdharma (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana
athathen
atha:
Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक/Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
FormNipāta (particle), discourse connector
ūcirethey spoke, declared
ūcire:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
FormLiṭ (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana; ātmanepada (ūcire-form)

Narrator (Purana voice, traditionally Suta/Vyasa lineage) describing the parampara of Dharma

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

S
Svayambhuva Manu
B
Brahma
P
Prajapati
B
Bhrigu
D
Dvijas (sages)

FAQs

Indirectly: it frames Dharma as a revealed and transmitted order rooted in cosmic creation (Prajāpati/Brahmā), implying that spiritual truth and right living are aligned with the deeper, sustaining reality that later teachings identify with the supreme principle.

No specific yogic technique is taught in this verse; it establishes the authority-chain (Manu → sages) through which later Kurma Purana teachings—such as dharma-based sādhanā and Pāśupata-oriented disciplines—are authenticated.

It does not name Śiva or Viṣṇu explicitly; instead, it emphasizes a shared Purāṇic principle: dharma is safeguarded by a single sacred tradition (paramparā) that later supports the Kurma Purana’s integrative Shaiva–Vaishnava theology.