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Shloka 22

Description of the Origin of the Cosmic Egg (Brahmāṇḍa) and the Ocean as King of Tīrthas

मोहिन्युवाच । सर्वेषु तु समुद्रेषु क्षारोऽयं सरितां पतिः । कथं जातो गुरो ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञोऽसि यतो द्विज ॥ २२ ॥

mohinyuvāca | sarveṣu tu samudreṣu kṣāro'yaṃ saritāṃ patiḥ | kathaṃ jāto guro brūhi sarvajño'si yato dvija || 22 ||

Mohinī disse: “Entre todos os oceanos, este senhor dos rios é salgado. Ó mestre, dize-me: como surgiu esta salinidade? Pois tu és onisciente, ó duas-vezes-nascido.”

मोहिनीMohinī
मोहिनी:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootमोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया/Verbal action)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)
सर्वेषुin all
सर्वेषु:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)
समुद्रेषुin the oceans
समुद्रेषु:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootसमुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)
क्षारःsaltiness; saline nature
क्षारः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootक्षार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
अयम्this
अयम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Determiner of क्षारः)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
सरिताम्of rivers
सरिताम्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootसरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)
पतिःlord; master
पतिः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition to क्षारः/अयम्)
TypeNoun
Rootपति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
कथम्how
कथम्:
Prashna (प्रश्न/Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
जातःborn; arisen
जातः:
Kriya (क्रिया; participial predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootजन् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)
गुरोO teacher
गुरो:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
TypeNoun
Rootगुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)
ब्रूहिtell (me)
ब्रूहि:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootब्रू (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)
सर्वज्ञःall-knowing
सर्वज्ञः:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective of त्वम् implied)
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (सर्वं जानाति इति), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)
असिyou are
असि:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)
यतःsince/because
यतः:
Hetu (हेतु/Cause marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; हेतु-अव्यय (causal/relative adverb: since/because)
द्विजO twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
द्विज:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Mohinī

Vrata: none

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

M
Mohinī
S
Samudra (Ocean)

FAQs

It models the Purāṇic method of sacred inquiry: a seeker asks a qualified guru to reveal the hidden cause behind a visible feature of the world (the ocean’s saltiness), linking geography and cosmology to dharmic understanding.

Indirectly, it shows the bhakti attitude of śraddhā and humility—approaching a teacher as omniscient and requesting instruction—an essential posture for receiving Purāṇic teachings that culminate in devotion.

It primarily reflects the discipline of pramāṇa and śāstra-based questioning rather than a specific Vedāṅga; the verse emphasizes correct inquiry (praśna) to a learned dvija, a prerequisite for studying śāstric cosmology and tirtha-mahātmya.