Shloka 15

Primordial Creation: From Brahman to the Cosmic Egg

Devanagari script

विकुर्वाणानिचांभांसिगंधमात्रंससर्जिरे । तस्माज्जाता मही चेयं सर्वभूतगुणाधिका

Transliteration

vikurvāṇānicāṃbhāṃsigaṃdhamātraṃsasarjire | tasmājjātā mahī ceyaṃ sarvabhūtaguṇādhikā

Translation

Apabila air mengalami perubahan, ia melahirkan ‘gandha’ (keharuman) semata sebagai sifat halusnya. Daripadanya lahirlah bumi ini—dilengkapi dengan sifat-sifat semua makhluk dalam kadar yang paling unggul.

Word by Word

• vikurvāṇāni: transforming
• vikurvāṇāni: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikurvāṇa (कृदन्त; √kṛ ‘कृ’ + vi उपसर्ग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त — ‘transforming’ (qualifying ambhāṃsi)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• ambhāṃsi: waters
• ambhāṃsi: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• gandha-mātram: mere smell
• gandha-mātram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• sasarjire: created; produced
• sasarjire: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sṛj (सृज् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपदम्

• tasmāt: from that
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम — ‘from that’

• jātā: was born; arose
• jātā: Kriya (Result state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (जन् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle) — ‘born/produced’

• mahī: earth
• mahī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• sarva-bhūta-guṇa-adhikā: abounding in all elemental qualities
• sarva-bhūta-guṇa-adhikā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + adhikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः — ‘सर्वेषां भूतानां गुणेभ्यः अधिका’ (superior/exceeding in qualities of all beings/elements)

Speaker

Narrator (cosmogonic description; specific speaker not explicit in the provided verse context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: vikurvāṇāni + ca + ambhāṃsi → vikurvāṇānicāṃbhāṃsi; gandhamātram + sasarjire → gaṃdhamātraṃsasarjire (anusvāra/spacing); tasmāt + jātā → tasmājjātā; ca + iyam → ceyaṃ.

FAQs

What does this verse say about the origin of Earth (mahī)?

It states that when the primordial waters transform, the subtle principle of fragrance (gandha) is produced, and from that transformation Earth (mahī) arises.

Why is “fragrance” (gandha) highlighted here?

In classical Indian cosmology, fragrance is the characteristic subtle quality associated with the Earth element (pṛthvī). The verse links Earth’s emergence to the manifestation of this defining quality.

What is implied by “endowed with the qualities of all beings” (sarvabhūta-guṇādhikā)?

It suggests Earth is a composite, richly qualified element—supporting and containing multiple properties needed for embodied life, making it especially suited as the basis for living beings.