Shloka 142

रुद्र-स्तवराजः (Rudra-Stavarāja) — Exempla of Śiva’s Boons and the Hymn’s Phalaśruti

Devanagari script

कला: काष्ठा लवा मात्रा मुहूर्ताहःक्षपा: क्षणा: । विश्वेक्षेत्र प्रजाबीज॑ लिड्रमाद्यस्तु निर्गम:

Transliteration

vāyudeva uvāca | kalāḥ kāṣṭhā lavā mātrā muhūrtāhaḥkṣapāḥ kṣaṇāḥ | viśvakṣetraṁ prajābījaṁ liṅgam ādyas tu nirgamaḥ ||

Translation

ବାୟୁଦେବ କହିଲେ— କଳା, କାଷ୍ଠା, ଲବ, ମାତ୍ରା, ମୁହୂର୍ତ୍ତ, ଦିନ-ରାତି ଓ କ୍ଷଣ—ଏସବୁ କାଳର ମାପ ଓ ବିଭାଗ। ସେଇ ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଣ୍ଡରୂପ ବୃକ୍ଷର ଆଧାର-କ୍ଷେତ୍ର; ସେଇ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରଜାଙ୍କର ବୀଜ-କାରଣ; ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତକୁ ଅନୁମାନ କରାଉଥିବା ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ‘ଲିଙ୍ଗ’ ସେଇ; ଏବଂ ସୃଷ୍ଟିରେ ସର୍ବପ୍ରଥମ ପ୍ରକଟ ହେବାଳା ମଧ୍ୟ ସେଇ।

Word by Word

• कलाः: parts (of time), kalās
• कलाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• काष्ठाः: kāṣṭhās (time-units)
• काष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• लवाः: instants, lavas
• लवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मात्राः: measures, mātrās
• मात्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• मुहूर्ताः: muhūrtas
• मुहूर्ताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अहः: day
• अहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• क्षपाः: nights
• क्षपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षपा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षणाः: moments
• क्षणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विश्वे: in the universe / in all
• विश्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• क्षेत्रम्: field; locus; basis
• क्षेत्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजाबीजम्: seed/cause of creatures
• प्रजाबीजम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजाबीज
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• लिङ्गम्: the subtle mark/body (liṅga); principle
• लिङ्गम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आद्यः: the first, primordial
• आद्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• निर्गमः: emergence; coming forth
• निर्गमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्गम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Time (as cosmic principle)
• Universe (viśva)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a metaphysical teaching: Time is articulated through its traditional subdivisions, and behind these measures stands a primordial principle—support of the cosmos, seed of beings, subtle sign of the unmanifest, and the first manifestation in creation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is describing cosmic principles rather than a battlefield event: he enumerates units of time and then characterizes the foundational source that underlies the universe and initiates the process of manifestation.