Shloka 9

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

Jñāna

Devanagari script

द्विजवरो! पक्षियोंमें बाज, यज्ञोंमें उत्तम आहुति और सम्पूर्ण रेंगकर चलनेवाले जीवोंमें साँप श्रेष्ठ है ।।

Transliteration

vāyudeva uvāca | dvijavara! pakṣiṇāṃ bājaḥ, yajñeṣūttamāhutiḥ, samasta-reṅgacara-jīvānāṃ ca sarpaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ || kṛtam ādir yugānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | hiraṇyaṃ sarvaratnānām oṣadhīnāṃ yavās tathā ||

Translation

హే ద్విజవరా! పక్షులలో బాజు అగ్రగణ్యము, యజ్ఞాలలో ఉత్తమ ఆహుతి శ్రేష్ఠము, మరియు రేంగి కదిలే సమస్త జీవులలో సర్పమే ప్రధానమని కీర్తించబడింది. అలాగే కృత (సత్య) యుగము సమస్త యుగముల ఆదియే—ఇందులో సందేహం లేదు. సమస్త రత్నములలో హిరణ్యం (సువర్ణం) శ్రేష్ఠము; ధాన్య-ఔషధములలో యవము (జవ) శ్రేష్ఠము.

Word by Word

• द्विजवरः: best of the twice-born (O best Brahmin)
• द्विजवरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतम्: Kṛta (Satya) age
• कृतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आदिः: beginning, first
• आदिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युगानाम्: of the ages
• युगानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

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

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हिरण्यम्: gold
• हिरण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वरत्नानाम्: of all gems
• सर्वरत्नानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• ओषधीनाम्: of herbs/medicinal plants
• ओषधीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• यवाः: barleys
• यवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise, similarly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• dvijavara (a brāhmaṇa addressee)
• bāja (hawk/falcon)
• uttamāhuti (supreme oblation)
• sarpa (serpent)
• Kṛta/Satya Yuga
• hiraṇya (gold)
• yava (barley)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a dharmic sense of ordered excellence: in every domain there are exemplars (best among birds, offerings, creatures, ages, gems, and grains). By recognizing such hierarchies, one aligns understanding with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma), especially affirming Kṛta/Satya Yuga as the primordial standard of righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva addresses a learned brāhmaṇa and delivers a compact, proverbial instruction. Rather than advancing action, the passage functions as a didactic catalogue of ‘foremost’ things, grounding the discussion in ritual values (yajña and āhuti) and cosmological time (the yugas).