Shloka 8

Brahmā’s Enumeration of Primacies (Ādi) and the Supremacy of Knowledge

Jñāna

Devanagari script

श्येन: पतत्रिणामादियर्यज्ञानां हुतमुत्तमम्‌ । सरीसृपाणां सर्वेषां ज्येष्ठ: सर्पो द्विजोत्तमा:

Transliteration

śyenaḥ patatriṇām ādiḥ yajñānāṃ hutam uttamam | sarīsṛpāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ jyeṣṭhaḥ sarpo dvijottamāḥ ||

Translation

హే ద్విజోత్తమా! పక్షులలో శ్యేనము (గద్ద/బాజు) అగ్రగణ్యము; యజ్ఞాలలో హుతి (ఆహుతి) పరమోత్తమము. సమస్త సరిసృపాలలో సర్పమే జ్యేష్ఠుడూ ప్రధానుడూ.

Word by Word

• श्येनः: hawk
• श्येनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पतत्रिणाम्: of birds
• पतत्रिणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतत्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• आदिः: the foremost/first
• आदिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices
• यज्ञानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हुतम्: offered (as oblation)
• हुतम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हु
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: the best
• उत्तमम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सरीसृपाणाम्: of reptiles/creeping creatures
• सरीसृपाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरीसृप
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• ज्येष्ठः: the eldest/foremost
• ज्येष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्पः: snake
• सर्पः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजोत्तमाः: best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu-deva
• śyena (hawk)
• yajña (sacrifice)
• huta (oblation)
• sarpa (serpent)
• dvija (twice-born, brāhmaṇa addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a principle of ordered excellence: within each domain (birds, sacrifices, reptiles) there is a recognized ‘foremost’ exemplar. This reflects a dharmic view of the world as structured by gradations of merit, seniority, and function—used here as a didactic comparison to guide judgment about what is chief or authoritative.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva is speaking to a brāhmaṇa (dvijottama), offering illustrative examples of preeminence—hawk among birds, oblation within sacrifice, serpent among creeping beings—likely to support a broader argument about rank, priority, or rightful authority in the surrounding discourse of the Ashvamedhika Parva.