Shloka 9

Brahmā’s Enumeration of Primacies (Ādi) and the Supremacy of Knowledge

Jñāna

Devanagari script

द्विजवरो! पक्षियोंमें बाज, यज्ञोंमें उत्तम आहुति और सम्पूर्ण रेंगकर चलनेवाले जीवोंमें साँप श्रेष्ठ है ।।

Transliteration

vāyudeva uvāca | dvijavara! pakṣiṇāṃ bājaḥ, yajñeṣūttamāhutiḥ, samasta-reṅgacara-jīvānāṃ ca sarpaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ || kṛtam ādir yugānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | hiraṇyaṃ sarvaratnānām oṣadhīnāṃ yavās tathā ||

Translation

ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜବର! ପକ୍ଷୀମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ବାଜ (ଶ୍ୟେନ) ଅଗ୍ର, ଯଜ୍ଞମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଉତ୍ତମ ଆହୁତି ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତ ରେଙ୍ଗି ଚଳୁଥିବା ଜୀବମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ସର୍ପ ପ୍ରଧାନ ବୋଲି କୀର୍ତ୍ତିତ। ଏହିପରି କୃତ (ସତ୍ୟ) ଯୁଗ ସମସ୍ତ ଯୁଗର ଆଦି—ଏଥିରେ ସନ୍ଦେହ ନାହିଁ। ସମସ୍ତ ରତ୍ନମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ହିରଣ୍ୟ (ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣ) ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ଏବଂ ଧାନ୍ୟ ଓ ଔଷଧିମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଯବ (ଜଉ) ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ।

Word by Word

• द्विजवरः: best of the twice-born (O best Brahmin)
• द्विजवरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतम्: Kṛta (Satya) age
• कृतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आदिः: beginning, first
• आदिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युगानाम्: of the ages
• युगानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वरत्नानाम्: of all gems
• सर्वरत्नानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• ओषधीनाम्: of herbs/medicinal plants
• ओषधीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• यवाः: barleys
• यवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise, similarly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• dvijavara (a brāhmaṇa addressee)
• bāja (hawk/falcon)
• uttamāhuti (supreme oblation)
• sarpa (serpent)
• Kṛta/Satya Yuga
• hiraṇya (gold)
• yava (barley)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a dharmic sense of ordered excellence: in every domain there are exemplars (best among birds, offerings, creatures, ages, gems, and grains). By recognizing such hierarchies, one aligns understanding with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma), especially affirming Kṛta/Satya Yuga as the primordial standard of righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses a learned brāhmaṇa and delivers a compact, proverbial instruction. Rather than advancing action, the passage functions as a didactic catalogue of ‘foremost’ things, grounding the discussion in ritual values (yajña and āhuti) and cosmological time (the yugas).