Shloka 10

Primordial Creation: From Brahman to the Cosmic Egg

Devanagari script

शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं भूतादिः सममावृणोत् । शब्दमात्रं तथाकाशं स्पर्शमात्रं ससर्ज ह

Transliteration

śabdamātraṃ tathākāśaṃ bhūtādiḥ samamāvṛṇot | śabdamātraṃ tathākāśaṃ sparśamātraṃ sasarja ha

Translation

Kemudian Bhūtādi meliputi sepenuhnya ākāśa yang hakikatnya bunyi semata. Dan daripada ākāśa yang berciri bunyi sahaja itu, ia melahirkan sparśa-tanmātra, sari halus sentuhan.

Word by Word

• śabda-mātram: sound alone (only sound)
• śabda-mātram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शब्द एव मात्रः/केवलः)

• tathā: thus/so
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्धक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/so)

• ākāśam: ether/space
• ākāśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhūtādiḥ: bhūtādi (primordial source)
• bhūtādiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आदिः)

• samam: completely
• samam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'completely/equally'

• āvṛṇot: covered/enveloped
• āvṛṇot: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + vṛ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śabda-mātram: sound alone
• śabda-mātram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus)

• ākāśam: ether
• ākāśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• sparśa-mātram: touch alone (subtle touch)
• sparśa-mātram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sparśa + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्पर्श एव मात्रः)

• sasarja: created
• sasarja: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ha: indeed
• ha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Narratorial/cosmological exposition (speaker not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: tathākāśam → tathā + ākāśam; samamāvṛṇot → samam + āvṛṇot.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtādi
• Ākāśa

FAQs

What cosmological sequence is described in this verse?

It describes a subtle-element evolution: ākāśa (ether), defined by the quality of sound (śabda), is enveloped by Bhūtādi, and from that basis the subtle principle of touch (sparśa-tanmātra) is produced.

What does 'śabdamātra ākāśa' mean philosophically?

It means ether is characterized primarily by the subtle quality of sound; in tanmātra-based cosmology, each element is identified by its dominant sensory quality, with later elements adding further qualities.

What is the ethical or spiritual lesson implied here?

While primarily cosmological, the implied lesson is discernment: the world is understood as a graded manifestation from subtle to gross, encouraging contemplation on causality and the transient, constructed nature of sensory experience.