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Shloka 2

Adhyaya 46Cosmic Dissolution, the Emergence of Brahma, and the Measures of Time (Yugas, Manvantaras, and Brahma’s Day)

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं त्वत्तो भृगुकुलोद्भव ।

यदा न सृष्टिर्भूतानामस्ति किं नु न चास्ति वा ।

काले वै प्रलयस्यान्ते सर्वस्मिन्नुपसंहृते ॥

etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ tvatto bhṛgukulodbhava |

yadā na sṛṣṭir bhūtānām asti kinnu na cāsti vā |

kāle vai pralayasyānte sarvasminn upasaṃhṛte ||

భృగువంశసంభవుడా! నీ నుండి నేను వినదలచుకున్నది—జీవసృష్టి లేనప్పుడు ఏదైనా అస్తిత్వం ఉంటుందా లేదా? అలాగే ప్రళయాంతంలో, సమస్తం సంహరింపబడి లీనమైనప్పుడు ఆ స్థితి ఏది?

etatthis (matter)
etat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootetat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
icchāmiI wish/desire
icchāmi:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootiṣ (इष्/इच्छ् धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
ahamI
aham:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
śrotumto hear
śrotum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
TypeVerb
Rootśru (श्रु धातु)
FormInfinitive (तुमुन्/तुमर्थ), expressing purpose
tvattaḥfrom you
tvattaḥ:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (त्वद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)
bhṛgu-kula-udbhavaO one born in the Bhṛgu lineage
bhṛgu-kula-udbhava:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootbhṛgu (भृगु प्रातिपदिक) + kula (कुल प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (उद्भव प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); संबोधन-प्रयोग
yadāwhen
yadā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyadā (अव्यय)
FormTemporal adverb/conjunction (कालवाचक-अव्यय)
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
sṛṣṭiḥcreation
sṛṣṭiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsṛṣṭi (सृष्टि प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
bhūtānāmof beings
bhūtānām:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootbhūta (भूत प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)
astiexists/is
asti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootas (अस् धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
kimwhat? / whether
kim:
Prashna (प्रश्न)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormInterrogative pronoun (प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular (एकवचन)
nuindeed/then (interrogative)
nu:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootnu (अव्यय)
FormInterrogative/emphatic particle (प्रश्न/निपात)
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
astiexists/is
asti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootas (अस् धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
or
:
Vikalpa (विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
FormDisjunctive particle (विकल्प-अव्यय)
kāleat the time
kāle:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (काल प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)
vaiindeed
vai:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (निपात)
pralayasyaof dissolution
pralayasya:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootpralaya (प्रलय प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
anteat the end
ante:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootanta (अन्त प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)
sarvasminin everything / in the whole (universe)
sarvasmin:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); used substantively
upasaṃhṛtewhen (it is) withdrawn/contracted
upasaṃhṛte:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootupa-saṃ-hṛ (उपसंहृ धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with sarvasmin
Questioner to a Bhṛgu-lineage sage (frame dialogue context; respondent is Mārkaṇḍeya in the following verse)

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

CosmologyPralayaOntology (existence/non-existence)Sāṅkhya categories (prakṛti/puruṣa implied)

FAQs

The verse frames a classic Purāṇic-śāstric inquiry: whether ‘non-creation’ means absolute non-being or a latent, unmanifest condition. It encourages careful distinction between manifest forms and underlying principles that persist through cycles.

Primarily Sarga/Pratisarga-related inquiry (creation and re-creation), specifically the transition point at Pralaya (dissolution) preceding Pratisarga (re-manifestation).

The ‘end of pralaya’ points to a liminal state where names and forms are withdrawn; the question anticipates the teaching that existence may continue in subtle/seed form (avyakta), not as gross plurality.