Shloka 18

Brahmacarya-Upāya: Jñāna, Śauca, and the Mind’s Role in Desire (शान्ति पर्व, अध्याय २०७)

Devanagari script

मरीचि: कश्यपं तात पुत्रमग्रजमग्रज: । मानसं जनयामास तैजसं ब्रह्मवित्तमम्‌

Transliteration

Marīciḥ Kaśyapaṃ tāta putram agrajam agrajaḥ | mānasaṃ janayāmāsa taijasaṃ brahmavittamam ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ: ପ୍ରିୟ ତାତ! ସେହି ଅଗ୍ରଜ ଋଷିମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଜ୍ୟେଷ୍ଠ ମରୀଚି ମନଶ୍ଶକ୍ତି ମାତ୍ରରେ କଶ୍ୟପ ନାମକ ପୁତ୍ରଙ୍କୁ ଜନ୍ମ ଦେଲେ—ଯିଏ ତେଜସ୍ବୀ ଓ ବ୍ରହ୍ମବିଦ୍ମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ।

Word by Word

• मरीचिः: Marici
• मरीचिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कश्यपम्: Kashyapa
• कश्यपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कश्यप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तात: dear one / O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अग्रजम्: elder-born / eldest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्रज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अग्रजः: the elder (one)
• अग्रजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मानसम्: mind-born / mental
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जनयामास: begot / generated
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic Perfect), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तैजसम्: radiant / full of splendor
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैजस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्मवित्तमम्: best among knowers of Brahman
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मवित्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तात: dear one / O son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Marīci
• Kaśyapa
• Brahman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the primacy of spiritual knowledge and inner power: Kaśyapa is praised as brahmavittama (foremost knower of Brahman), and his origin as mānasa (mind-born) underscores creation through tapas, purity, and concentrated consciousness rather than merely physical generation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is recounting a genealogical-cosmic lineage: among the primeval sages, Marīci is presented as senior, and he produces a distinguished son, Kaśyapa, described as radiant and supreme among Brahman-knowers—setting up the broader account of progenitors and the origins of beings.