Shloka 16

Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank

Devanagari script

अव्यक्ते पुरुष याते पुंसि सर्वगतेडपि च । तम एवाभवत् सर्व न प्राज्ायत किंचन

Transliteration

avyakte puruṣa yāte puṁsi sarvagate ’pi ca | tam evābhavat sarvaṁ na prājāyata kiṁcana, nṛpaśreṣṭha |

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ଯେତେବେଳେ ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତରେ ପୁରୁଷ ଲୟ ହେଲା ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷ ମଧ୍ୟ ସର୍ବବ୍ୟାପୀ ପରମାତ୍ମାରେ ଲୟ ହେଲା, ସେତେବେଳେ ସବୁକିଛି ସେହି ‘ତତ୍’ ହୋଇଗଲା; କିଛି ମଧ୍ୟ ଜନ୍ମ ନେଲା ନାହିଁ। ତେବେ ସବୁଦିଗରେ ତମସ୍—ଅନ୍ଧକାର—ମାତ୍ର ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• अव्यक्ते: in the unmanifest
• अव्यक्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पुरुषे: in the Purusha
• पुरुषे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• याते: having gone/merged
• याते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: या
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पुंसि: in the (Supreme) Person
• पुंसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सर्वगते: in the all-pervading (one)
• सर्वगते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वगत
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

• तम्: that (one)/him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अभवत्: was/existed
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वम्: all (that existed)
• सर्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• प्राजायत: was born/arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• किञ्चन: anything at all
• किञ्चन: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किञ्चन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• नृपश्रेष्ठ: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• nṛpaśreṣṭha (the king addressed)
• pañcabhūta (five elements)
• pṛthivī (earth)
• jala (water)
• tejas (fire)
• vāyu (wind)
• ākāśa (space)
• manas (mind)
• mahat-tattva (the manifest principle)
• avyakta prakṛti (unmanifest nature)
• puruṣa
• īśvara (Lord associated with māyā)
• paramātman (Supreme Self)
• ekārṇava (single cosmic ocean)
• andhakāra (darkness)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All manifested categories—elements, mind, and cosmic principles—are ultimately reabsorbed step by step into subtler causes, culminating in the all-pervading Supreme Self; in that final state, differentiation ceases and nothing new is produced.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana explains to the king the ‘ultimate dissolution’ (ātyantika pralaya) of the five elements and associated principles, describing a graded merging from earth into water and onward through subtler levels until only the Supreme Reality remains, with darkness symbolizing the absence of perceivable distinctions.