Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)
चतुरश्नापरान् पुत्रान् देहात् पूर्व महानृषि: । ते वै पितृणां पितर: श्रूयन्ते राजसत्तम
caturaś cāparān putrān dehāt pūrvaṁ mahān ṛṣiḥ | te vai pitṝṇāṁ pitaraḥ śrūyante rājasattama ||
ଯାଜ୍ଞବଲ୍କ୍ୟ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସେ ମହାଋଷି ଭୌତିକ ଦେହର ଉତ୍ପତ୍ତି ପୂର୍ବରୁ ଆଉ ଚାରି ପୁତ୍ରଙ୍କୁ ସୃଷ୍ଟି କଲେ। ନୃପଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ସେ ଚାରିଜଣ ‘ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କର ମଧ୍ୟ ପିତା’ ବୋଲି ଶ୍ରୁତ—ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ପରବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ସୃଷ୍ଟି-ପରମ୍ପରାର ଆଦି ମୂଳ ପ୍ରଜନକ।
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
The verse frames creation as proceeding from subtle, pre-physical origins: before embodied forms arise, primordial progenitors are produced, and these stand behind later ancestral and elemental lineages. It emphasizes a hierarchical causality—subtle principles precede and generate the gross.
Yājñavalkya addresses a king and recounts a traditional account of early creation: a great seer produced four ‘sons’ prior to physical embodiment, and these are described as the progenitors even of the Pitṛs, indicating an origin prior to later cosmic generations.