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Shloka 17

द्रष्टव्यं नैतदेवं हि कथं जायेदजो हि सः । स्मृतमाकाशमण्डं तु तस्माज्जात: पितामह:,परंतु ऐसा नहीं समझना चाहिये; क्योंकि जो अजन्मा है, वह जन्म कैसे ले सकता है? फिर भी जो उन्हें अण्डज कहा जाता है, उसका अभिप्राय यों समझना चाहिये। महाकाश ही यहाँ 'अण्ड' है, उससे पितामह प्रकट हुए हैं (इसलिये वे 'अण्डज' हैं)

draṣṭavyaṃ naitadevaṃ hi kathaṃ jāyed ajo hi saḥ | smṛtam ākāśamaṇḍaṃ tu tasmāj jātaḥ pitāmahaḥ ||

എന്നാൽ ഇതിനെ അക്ഷരാർത്ഥത്തിൽ അങ്ങനെ ഗ്രഹിക്കരുത്; ജന്മമില്ലാത്തവൻ എങ്ങനെ ജനിക്കും? ഇവിടെ ‘അണ്ഡം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നത് മഹാകാശത്തെയാണ്; അതിൽ നിന്നാണ് പിതാമഹൻ പ്രകടനായത്—ആ അർത്ഥത്തിലേ അവൻ ‘അണ്ഡജൻ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

द्रष्टव्यम्should be seen/understood
द्रष्टव्यम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
Formतव्यत्, Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Obligation/necessity (gerundive)
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
एवम्thus/in this way
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
कथम्how?
कथम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम्
जायेत्could be born/arise
जायेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootजन्
FormVidhi-lin (optative), Optative, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada
अजःunborn
अजः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअज
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
स्मृतम्is remembered/has been stated
स्मृतम्:
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ
Formक्त, Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle
आकाशम्space/sky
आकाशम्:
TypeNoun
Rootआकाश
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
अण्डम्egg (cosmic egg)
अण्डम्:
TypeNoun
Rootअण्ड
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/however
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
तस्मात्from that
तस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
जातःborn/arisen
जातः:
TypeVerb
Rootजन्
Formक्त, Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (used adjectivally)
पितामहःPitāmaha (Brahmā, the grandsire)
पितामहः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

अजुन उवाच

A
Arjuna
P
Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
Ā
Ākāśa (space/ether)
Ā
Ākāśa-maṇḍa (expanse of space)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches careful interpretation of traditional epithets: an “unborn” principle cannot literally be said to be born; terms like ‘egg-born’ are to be understood figuratively, pointing to manifestation from the cosmic expanse (ākāśa) rather than biological birth.

Arjuna clarifies a cosmological description about Pitāmaha (Brahmā), rejecting a literal reading and explaining that the ‘egg’ (aṇḍa) is intended as the vast space itself, from which Brahmā is said to appear.