Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

(६) तदूर्ध्वस्तोतसां षष्ठो देवसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः / (७) ततोर्ऽवाक्स्रोतसां सर्गः सप्तमः स तु मा नुषः

Transliteration

(6) tadūrdhvastotasāṃ ṣaṣṭho devasargastu sa smṛtaḥ / (7) tator'vāksrotasāṃ sargaḥ saptamaḥ sa tu mā nuṣaḥ

Translation

Dalam kalangan yang arus hayatnya bergerak ke atas, penciptaan yang keenam diingati sebagai penciptaan para Deva. Sesudah itu, dalam kalangan yang arusnya bergerak ke bawah, penciptaan yang ketujuh ialah penciptaan manusia.

Word by Word

• तद्-ऊर्ध्व-स्रोतसाम्: of those with upward channels (beings)
• तद्-ऊर्ध्व-स्रोतसाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तद् ऊर्ध्वं स्रोतः येषां ते)

• षष्ठः: sixth
• षष्ठः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• देव-सर्गः: the creation of gods
• देव-सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानां सर्गः)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• सः: that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्मृतः: is called
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'is said/remembered'

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकार (thereafter/from that)

• अवाक्-स्रोतसाम्: of those with downward channels
• अवाक्-स्रोतसाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/6th case), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अवाक् स्रोतः येषां ते)

• सर्गः: creation
• सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सप्तमः: seventh
• सप्तमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सः: that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• मानुषः: human
• मानुषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण/जातिवाचक (सर्गः इत्यस्य)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Different ‘streams’ of embodiment: upward-current beings culminate in devas; downward-current beings include humans—suggesting graded tendencies and karmic trajectories.

Vedantic Theme: Samsāra as a graded field shaped by guṇas and karma; human birth as a pivotal junction for sādhanā despite being within the downward-flowing embodied condition.

Application: Use human life to reverse the ‘downward pull’ through dharma, self-discipline, and Vishnu-bhakti; aim for sattva and higher aspiration.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: species/realm classification (deva/manushya)

Cross References

Related Themes: Sarga list context: preceding sthāvara/tiryak in 1.4.16; broader Purvakhanda cosmology sections

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Manushyas (Humans)

FAQs

What is the importance of ūrdhva-srotas and avāk-srotas in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses the direction of the life-current (upward vs. downward) to classify types of beings, placing devas among the upward-current creation and humans among the downward-current creation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it frames beings by their inherent orientation: devas are associated with an upward tendency, while humans are described within a downward-current category—suggesting differing existential conditions that later chapters connect to karma and post-death destinies.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sāttvic conduct and disciplined living to develop an “upward” inner orientation—ethical restraint, truthfulness, and devotion—rather than a downward pull toward impulsive sense-driven habits.