Shloka 58

Puṣkara Invocation, the Dharma-Wheel at Naimiṣa, and the Padma Purāṇa Prologue

Devanagari script

देवदेवो हरिर्यद्वै ब्रह्मणे प्रोक्तवान्पुरा । ब्रह्मणाभिहितं पूर्वं यावन्मात्रं मरीचये

Transliteration

devadevo hariryadvai brahmaṇe proktavānpurā | brahmaṇābhihitaṃ pūrvaṃ yāvanmātraṃ marīcaye

Translation

ദേവദേവനായ ഹരി പൂർവകാലത്ത് ബ്രഹ്മാവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞതെന്തോ, ബ്രഹ്മാവും മുൻപ് അത്രയേറെ മാത്രം മരീചിയോട് അറിയിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• deva-devaḥ: God of gods
• deva-devaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां देवः)

• hariḥ: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• hariḥ: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• yat: which; that (teaching)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध/यदर्थे (relative pronoun: 'which/that')

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• brahmaṇe: to Brahmā
• brahmaṇe: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

• proktavān: taught; spoke
• proktavān: Kriyā (Finite sense via participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: proktavat (कृदन्त; √vac वचने + pra-, क्तवत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्तवत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग; परस्मैपद-भावार्थ 'said/taught'

• purā: formerly; long ago
• purā: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• abhihitam: stated; narrated
• abhihitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhihita (कृदन्त; √dhā/√hā? actually √bhidh/√vad sense; standard: √dhā?; here from √dhā?; better: √bhidh/√vad 'to say' as abhidhā; treat as √dhā?; )
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मणि/विधेय-विशेषण 'कथित'

• pūrvam: previously; earlier
• pūrvam: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'previously/first')

• yāvat-mātram: as much as; to that extent
• yāvat-mātram: Viśeṣaṇa (Measure/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (adverbial: 'to the extent/only as much as')

• marīcaye: to Marīci
• marīcaye: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: marīci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; specific dialogue pair not explicit in this single verse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: hariryadvai = hariḥ + yat + vai; proktavānpurā = proktavān + purā; brahmaṇābhihitam = brahmaṇā + abhihitam; yāvanmātraṃ = yāvat + mātram (avyayībhāva).

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā
• Marīci

FAQs

What is the main idea of this verse in the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa?

It highlights a lineage of sacred instruction: Hari (Viṣṇu) teaches Brahmā, and Brahmā passes that teaching onward to the sage Marīci, emphasizing transmission through an authoritative paramparā.

Does this verse describe creation directly or the source of creation-knowledge?

It primarily points to the source and transmission of knowledge about cosmic principles—how teachings originate with Hari and are communicated through Brahmā to the Prajāpati-s like Marīci.

What ethical or spiritual lesson is implied by this chain of teaching?

The implied lesson is humility and fidelity in learning: sacred knowledge is received from a higher source and responsibly transmitted without distortion, honoring the teacher-disciple succession.