Shloka 75

Adhyaya 81 — Suratha and Samadhi Seek Sage Medhas; Introduction to Mahamaya and the Madhukaitabha Origin Account

Sanskrit

ऋषिरुवाच वञ्चिताभ्यामिति तदा सर्वमापोमयं जगत् ।

विलोक्य ताभ्यां गदितो भगवान् कमलेक्षणः ॥

Transliteration

ṛṣir uvāca vañcitābhyām iti tadā sarvam āpomayaṃ jagat | vilokya tābhyāṃ gadito bhagavān kamalekṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

The Ṛṣi said: Thus deceived, they then saw the entire world as made of water; and the Lord, lotus-eyed, spoke to them.

Word by Word

• ṛṣiḥ: the sage
• ṛṣiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वचने)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• vañcitābhyām: by the two deceivers/deceived ones
• vañcitābhyām: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vañcita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vañc वञ्चने, क्त)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Dual (द्विवचन); used substantively: 'by the two deceived/deceivers' (context: by those two)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vakyopasamhara (वाक्योपसंहार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies 'jagat'

• āpaḥ-mayam: consisting of water
• āpaḥ-mayam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āpas (प्रातिपदिक, pluralia tantum) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); 'made of water' qualifying 'jagat'

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• vilokya: having seen
• vilokya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lok (लोकने)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; ल्यप्): 'having seen'

• tābhyām: by those two
• tābhyām: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Dual (द्विवचन)

• gaditaḥ: was spoken
• gaditaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gadita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √gad कथने, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); PPP: 'was spoken/said'

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• kamala-īkṣaṇaḥ: the lotus-eyed one
• kamala-īkṣaṇaḥ: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamala (प्रातिपदिक) + īkṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); bahuvrīhi: 'whose eyes are like lotuses'

Speakers

• Ṛṣi (narrator) describing Viṣṇu’s action

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu

Shakti Aspects

• Mahāmāyā (as the delusive force enabling the ‘all-water’ condition to be invoked)

Key Themes

• Cosmic waters (āpaḥ) imagery
• Divine stratagem
• Māyā and perception

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Perception is pliable under Māyā; wisdom lies in seeing beyond appearances, while delusion binds one to self-made conditions.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Touches Sarga imagery (primordial waters motif) as a narrative symbol, embedded in Manvantara storytelling.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘All is water’ recalls undifferentiated potential; the asuras’ mind, flooded by delusion, cannot find stable ‘ground’—prefiguring the condition of their death.