Shloka 23

Vānaprastha-vṛtti and the Transition toward the Fourth Āśrama (वानप्रस्थवृत्तिः चतुर्थाश्रमोपक्रमश्च)

Devanagari script

प्रजापतिरिवाक्षो भ्य: शरीरात्‌ सृजते प्रजा: । अड्गुल्यड्गुष्ठमात्रेण हस्तपादेन वा तथा

Transliteration

prajāpatir ivākṣobhyaḥ śarīrāt sṛjate prajāḥ | aṅguly-aṅguṣṭha-mātreṇa hasta-pādena vā tathā ||

Translation

ప్రజాపతివలె అక్షోభ్యుడైన పరమాత్మ తన శరీరమునుండే ప్రజలను సృష్టిస్తాడు; అంతేకాదు, కేవలం వేలు లేదా బొటనవేలంత మాత్రముతో, లేదా చేతి-పాదములతో కూడ తథావిధంగా సృష్టి చేయగలడు.

Word by Word

प्रजापतिःPrajapati (the Creator)

इवlike, as

अक्षोभ्यःfrom Akṣobhya (the unshakable one)

शरीरात्from (his) body

सृजतेcreates, produces

प्रजाःcreatures, progeny

अङ्गुलि-अङ्गुष्ठ-मात्रेणby (something) of the measure of a finger and thumb

हस्त-पादेनby hand and foot

वाor

तथाthus, likewise

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Prajāpati

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the effortless sovereignty of the creator: just as Prajāpati generates beings from his own body, the supreme, unshakable source can manifest creation even from the smallest portion—highlighting divine potency and the non-limitation of creative power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is explaining a cosmological point within the Shānti Parva’s reflective discourse: he uses Prajāpati as an analogy to illustrate how beings can be produced from the creator’s own substance, even from a minute measure such as a finger or thumb (or a hand or foot).