Shloka 9

Adhyaya 42 — Dattatreya on the Yogic Import of Oṃ (Praṇava): Matras, Worlds, and Liberation

Sanskrit

विष्णुर्-ब्रह्मा-हरश्चैव ऋक्सामानि यजूṃषि च ।

मात्राः सार्धाश्च तिस्त्रश्च विज्ञेयाः परमार्थतः ॥

Transliteration

viṣṇur-brahmā-haraścaiva ṛksāmāni yajūṃṣi ca /

mātrāḥ sārdhāśca tistraśca vijñeyāḥ paramārthataḥ

Translation

विष्णुर्ब्रह्मा हरश्चैव ऋक्सामयजुषस्तथा—एते परमार्थतः त्रयो मात्राः स-अर्धमात्राः इति बोध्याः॥

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

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

• ऋक्-सामानि: Ṛk and Sāman (hymns/chants)
• ऋक्-सामानि: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच्/ऋक् + सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व: ऋचः च सामानि च

• यजूंषि: Yajus formulas
• यजूंषि: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

• मात्राः: moras; measures (of sound)
• मात्राः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सार्धाः: with a half (i.e., one-and-a-half)
• सार्धाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘with a half’ (one-and-a-half)

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

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘three’ (feminine form)

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

• विज्ञेयाः: are to be known
• विज्ञेयाः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate-adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विज्ञेय (प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा धातु से तव्यत्/य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘to be known/understood’

• परमार्थतः: in truth; ultimately
• परमार्थतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परमार्थतः (अव्यय; परमार्थ + तस्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): in the highest sense/truly

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided extract (didactic narration within Markandeya Purana’s philosophical instruction)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu
• Brahmā
• Śiva (Hara)

Key Themes

• Praṇava
• Trimūrti
• Vedic synthesis
• Mātrā doctrine

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse teaches integrative theology: sectarian forms (Trimūrti) and scriptural divisions (three Vedas) are unified under the single contemplative principle of Oṁ.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

A theological-philosophical mapping (upāsanā/tattva) rather than pancalakṣaṇa narrative content.

What is the esoteric significance?

The correspondence between A-U-M(+ardha) and deity/Veda triads implies that mantra-phonetics is not merely linguistic but ontological: sound-units mirror cosmic functions (creation, preservation, dissolution) culminating in transcendence.