Shloka 38

Adhyaya 49 — Primordial Human Creation, the Rise of Desire, and the Origins of Settlements, Measures, and Agriculture

Sanskrit

क्रमादष्टगुणान्याहुर्यवानष्टौ तथाङ्गुलम् ।

षडङ्गुलं पदं तच्च वितस्तिर्द्विगुणं स्मृतम् ॥

Transliteration

kramād aṣṭa-guṇāny āhur yavān aṣṭau tathā aṅgulam | ṣaḍ-aṅgulaṃ padaṃ tac ca vitastir dvi-guṇaṃ smṛtam ||

Translation

ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਹਰ ਇੱਕ ਨੂੰ ਪਿਛਲੇ ਦਾ ਅੱਠ ਗੁਣਾ ਕ੍ਰਮ ਨਾਲ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ। ਅੱਠ ਯਵ ਮਿਲ ਕੇ ਅੰਗੁਲ ਬਣਦੇ ਹਨ; ਛੇ ਅੰਗੁਲਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਪਦ; ਅਤੇ ਉਸ ਦਾ ਦੁੱਗਣਾ ਵਿਤਸਤੀ (ਬਿੱਤਾ) ਮੰਨਿਆ ਗਿਆ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• क्रमात्: successively, in order
• क्रमात्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): क्रमात् = क्रमेन/क्रमशः (in order, successively)

• अष्टगुणानि: eightfold (by eight)
• अष्टगुणानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः: अष्ट गुणाः यस्य/यत्र (eightfold)

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम

• यवान्: barley grains
• यवान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषणम् (numeral)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• अङ्गुलम्: an aṅgula (finger-breadth)
• अङ्गुलम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परिमाण-शब्दः

• षडङ्गुलम्: six aṅgulas
• षडङ्गुलम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् + अङ्गुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः: षड्-अङ्गुलम् (six aṅgulas)

• पदम्: a foot (pada measure)
• पदम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परिमाण-शब्दः

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• वितस्तिः: a vitasti (span)
• वितस्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; परिमाण-शब्दः

• द्विगुणम्: twofold, double
• द्विगुणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः: द्विगुणम् (twofold)

• स्मृतम्: is said/considered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is considered/remembered’

Speakers

• Not explicitly indicated in the provided excerpt (likely within the Purāṇic didactic narration)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Traditional measurement standards
• Embodied units (aṅgula, pada, vitasti)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purāṇas often encode practical knowledge: civic order (town-planning, land grants, ritual altars) requires shared standards. The verse models how tradition stabilizes society through agreed measures.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary to Sarga/Sthiti descriptions—technical scaffolding for geographical and civic descriptions rather than a direct Manvantara or Vaṃśa narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

Using the body as measure (aṅgula, span) reflects the microcosm–macrocosm idea: human embodiment becomes the template for mapping and ordering external space.