Shloka 4

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

वक्षसो रजसोद्रिक्तास् तथान्या ब्रह्मणो ऽभवन् रजसा तमसा चैव समुद्रिक्तास् तथोरुतः

Transliteration

vakṣaso rajasodriktās tathānyā brahmaṇo 'bhavan rajasā tamasā caiva samudriktās tathorutaḥ

Translation

ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଙ୍କ ବକ୍ଷସ୍ଥଳରୁ ରଜୋଗୁଣ ପ୍ରଧାନ ପ୍ରଜା ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ହେଲେ; ଏବଂ ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଙ୍କ ଅନ୍ୟ ଅଂଶରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ରଜସ୍-ଚିହ୍ନିତ ସତ୍ତାମାନେ ପ୍ରକଟ ହେଲେ। ତାଙ୍କ ଊରୁରୁ ରଜସ୍ ଓ ତମସ୍ ଉଭୟ ମିଶି ତୀବ୍ର ହୋଇଥିବା ପ୍ରଜା ଜନ୍ମ ନେଲେ।

Word by Word

• वक्षसः: of the chest
• वक्षसः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• रजसः: of rajas (passion)
• रजसः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• उद्रिक्ताः: predominant; increased
• उद्रिक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्रिक्त (उद्-रिच्/रेक्-धातुज कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (thus/likewise)

• अन्याः: others (beings)
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अभवन्: came to be; arose
• अभवन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रजसा: with rajas
• रजसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तमसा: with tamas (darkness)
• तमसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• समुद्रिक्ताः: thoroughly predominant
• समुद्रिक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + उद्रिक्त (उद्-रिच्/रेक्-धातुज कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (likewise)

• ऊरुतः: from the thigh
• ऊरुतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Guṇas (rajas, tamas)
• Viṣṇu (as supreme ordainer of creation)

FAQs

What is the significance of guṇa predominance in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It explains that created beings differ according to the dominance and mixture of rajas and tamas, showing creation as a graded manifestation shaped by the guṇas rather than a uniform emergence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the process of creation here?

Parāśara describes Brahmā’s emanation of beings from specific bodily loci (chest, thigh), emphasizing that each emergence corresponds to a particular guṇa-condition—especially rajas alone or rajas mixed with tamas.

What is the theological importance of Lord Viṣṇu in this context?

Even when Brahmā is described as producing beings, the Vishnu Purana frames such creation as secondary and governed by the Supreme Lord’s overarching sovereignty, with the guṇas operating within Viṣṇu’s cosmic order.