Shloka 35

सर्गभेदाः — अविद्या, स्रोतोभेदाः, नव सर्गाः, देवासुरादिसृष्टिः, वेद-यज्ञप्रादुर्भावः

Devanagari script

सत्त्वमात्रात्मिकाम् एव ततो ऽन्यां जगृहे तनुम् पितृवन् मन्यमानस्य पितरस् तस्य जज्ञिरे

Transliteration

sattvamātrātmikām eva tato 'nyāṃ jagṛhe tanum pitṛvan manyamānasya pitaras tasya jajñire

Translation

ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਸਤ੍ਤਵ-ਮਾਤ੍ਰ ਵਾਲੀ ਹੋਰ ਤਨੁ ਧਾਰਨ ਕੀਤੀ। ਜਦੋਂ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਪਿਤਾ-ਭਾਵ ਨਾਲ ਮੰਨਿਆ, ਤਦ ਉਸ ਤੋਂ ਪਿਤਰ (ਪੂਰਵਜ) ਉਤਪੰਨ ਹੋਏ।

Word by Word

• सत्त्वमात्रात्मिकाम्: consisting solely of sattva
• सत्त्वमात्रात्मिकाम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व-मात्र-आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक; सत्त्व + मात्रा + आत्मिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तनुम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—क्रमवाचक

• अन्याम्: another
• अन्याम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; ‘तनुम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• जगृहे: took, assumed
• जगृहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; सकर्मक

• तनुम्: body, form
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• पितृवत्: like a father
• पितृवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पितृवत् (अव्यय; पितृ + वत्)
• Form: अव्यय—उपमानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (like/as a father)

• मन्यमानस्य: of (him) considering
• मन्यमानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मन् (धातु) शानच्/आनच्—वर्तमानकाले)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘तस्य’ इत्यस्य विशेषण—‘of (him) thinking/considering’

• पितरः: the Fathers (Pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• जज्ञिरे: were born, arose
• जज्ञिरे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Origin of the Pitṛs and their role in sustaining dharma through ancestral rites

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: compassionate

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Primary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: From a purely sāttvika assumption and the Creator’s paternal identification arise the Pitṛs, grounding the sacred continuity of lineage and śrāddha-dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Honor ancestors through remembrance and ethical living; treat duties to family and society as part of spiritual discipline.

Vishishtadvaita: Relationality (fatherhood/lineage) is a real, meaningful mode within the Lord’s world, supporting dharma rather than negating it.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Pitrs (ancestral Fathers)
• Prajapati (creator principle)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Pitṛs (Fathers) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the Pitṛs as a direct product of a sattva-dominant creative assumption, grounding ancestral rites (śrāddha) and lineage-continuity in the very structure of creation.

How does Sage Parāśara explain creation through different ‘bodies’ or forms?

Parāśara describes creation as proceeding by successive assumptions of form aligned with specific functions; here, a sattva-only form supports the orderly emergence of the Pitṛs as progenitors and guardians of ancestral succession.

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

Even when the narrative speaks through creator-functions, the Purāṇic framework treats such ordered emanation as dependent on the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—whose sovereignty underlies the cosmic hierarchy and its sustaining dharma.