Shloka 3

अव्यक्तकालमान-निर्णयः

Measures of Time from the Unmanifest; Creation, Elements, and the Primacy of Mind

Devanagari script

हंसो भूत्वाथ सौवर्णस्त्वजो नित्य: प्रजापति: । स वै पर्येति लोकांस्त्रीनथ साध्यानुपागमत्‌,एक समय नित्य अजन्मा प्रजापति सुवर्णमय हंसका रूप धारण करके तीनों लोकोंमें विचर रहे थे। घूमते-घामते वे साध्यगणोंके पास जा पहुँचे

Transliteration

haṁso bhūtvātha sauvarṇas tv ajo nityaḥ prajāpatiḥ | sa vai paryeti lokāṁs trīn atha sādhyan upāgamat ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు అన్నాడు— ఒకప్పుడు అజన్ముడూ నిత్యుడైన ప్రజాపతి స్వర్ణహంసరూపం ధరించి త్రిలోకములలో సంచరించుచుండెను; సంచరిస్తూ సంచరిస్తూ సాధ్యగణముల వద్దకు చేరెను.

Word by Word

हंसःa swan

भूत्वाhaving become

अथthen

सौवर्णःgolden

त्वजःTvaja (a name/epithet)

नित्यःeternal

प्रजापतिःPrajāpati (the progenitor)

सःhe

वैindeed

पर्येतिgoes around, wanders

लोकान्worlds

त्रीन्three

अथthen

साध्यान्the Sādhyas (a class of deities)

उपागमत्approached, reached

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Prajāpati

Haṁsa (golden swan form)

Three worlds (trailokya)

Sādhyas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up a dharma-teaching context: the eternal, unborn Prajāpati adopts a symbolic form (a golden haṁsa) and traverses all realms, implying that wisdom and moral instruction are not confined to one place or status and may be conveyed through emblematic appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that Prajāpati, taking the form of a golden swan, roams the three worlds and eventually arrives among the Sādhyas, preparing the ground for a dialogue or teaching to celestial beings.