Shloka 45

Brahmā’s Creation: The Kumāras, Rudra, the Prajāpatis, and the Manifestation of Vedic Sound

Devanagari script

तस्योष्णिगासील्लोमभ्यो गायत्री च त्वचो विभो: । त्रिष्टुम्मांसात्स्‍नुतोऽनुष्टुब्जगत्यस्थ्न: प्रजापते: ॥ ४५ ॥

Transliteration

tasyoṣṇig āsīl lomabhyo gāyatrī ca tvaco vibhoḥ triṣṭum māṁsāt snuto ’nuṣṭub jagaty asthnaḥ prajāpateḥ

Translation

ତତଃ ସର୍ବଶକ୍ତିମାନ ପ୍ରଜାପତିଙ୍କ ଦେହର ରୋମରୁ ଉଷ୍ଣିକ୍ ଛନ୍ଦ ପ୍ରକଟ ହେଲା। ତ୍ୱଚାରୁ ଗାୟତ୍ରୀ, ମାଂସରୁ ତ୍ରିଷ୍ଟୁପ୍, ଶିରାରୁ ଅନୁଷ୍ଟୁପ୍ ଏବଂ ଅସ୍ଥିରୁ ଜଗତୀ ଛନ୍ଦ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ହେଲା।

Synonyms

• tasya: of him/its
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual) सर्वनाम

• uṣṇik: the Uṣṇik metre
• uṣṇik: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣṇik (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• āsīt: was/arose
• āsīt: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• lomabhyaḥ: from the hairs
• lomabhyaḥ: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• gāyatrī: the Gāyatrī metre
• gāyatrī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• tvacaḥ: from the skin
• tvacaḥ: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvac (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• vibhoḥ: of the Lord (Vibhu)
• vibhoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• triṣṭum: the Triṣṭubh metre
• triṣṭum: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: triṣṭubh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); छन्दोनाम (metre-name)

• māṁsāt: from the flesh
• māṁsāt: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṁsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• snutaḥ: from the sinews
• snutaḥ: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snu (स्नु धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); ‘स्नु’ = sinew/ligament (snāyu-artha)

• anuṣṭup: the Anuṣṭubh metre
• anuṣṭup: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuṣṭubh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• jagatī: the Jagatī metre
• jagatī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• asthnaḥ: from the bones
• asthnaḥ: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); वैदिक/छान्दस रूप (Vedic/archaic form) for ‘asthnaḥ’

• prajāpateḥ: of Prajāpati
• prajāpateḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajāpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Characters & Entities

• Prajāpati (Brahmā)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the origin of Vedic meters (chandas)?

This verse states that key Vedic meters—Uṣṇik, Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, Anuṣṭubh, and Jagatī—manifest from the cosmic body of Prajāpati during creation.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe Vedic meters coming from Prajāpati’s body?

To show that Vedic sound and its regulated poetic forms (chandas) are not human inventions but part of the divine, ordered process of creation.

How can this teaching be applied in modern spiritual life?

It encourages reverence for śāstra and sacred recitation—approaching mantra, prayer, and scriptural study as spiritually potent and divinely rooted rather than merely literary.