Shloka 40

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

Sanskrit

तद्वासिनोऽपि तापेन जनलोकं प्रयान्ति वै ।

एकार्णवे च त्रैलोक्ये ब्रह्मा स्वपिति वै निशि ॥

Transliteration

tad-vāsino 'pi tāpena janalokaṃ prayānti vai | ekārṇave ca trailokye brahmā svapiti vai niśi ||

Translation

แม้ผู้อยู่อาศัย ณ ที่นั้นก็ถูกความร้อนแผดเผาแล้วไปสู่ชนโลก; และเมื่อสามโลกกลายเป็นมหาสมุทรเดียว พระพรหมย่อมบรรทมในราตรี

Word by Word

• tat-vāsinaḥ: the inhabitants of that (loka)
• tat-vāsinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + vāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा (१) बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (tasya lokasya vāsinaḥ)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपि-निपातः (also/even)

• tāpena: by heat/affliction
• tāpena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे तृतीया (३) एकवचनम्

• jana-lokam: Janaloka
• jana-lokam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे द्वितीया (२) एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः

• prayānti: depart/go
• prayānti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-yā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः; प्रथमपुरुषः; बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निश्चयार्थक-निपातः

• ekārṇave: in the single ocean
• ekārṇave: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे सप्तमी (७) एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (ekaḥ arṇavaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• trailokye: in the three worlds
• trailokye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) → trailokya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (७) एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (tri-lokam)

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे प्रथमा (१) एकवचनम्

• svapiti: sleeps
• svapiti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: svap (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निश्चयार्थक-निपातः

• niśi: at night
• niśi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी (७) एकवचनम्

Speakers

• Cosmological instruction within the Markandeya Purāṇa’s teaching narrative (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Pralaya
• Brahmā’s night
• Lokas

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Safety based on location or attainment is conditional within cyclic time; refuge is ultimately in right knowledge and dharma rather than any perishable realm.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Pratisarga/saṃhāra: concrete description of periodic dissolution and the cosmic ‘night’ of Brahmā.

What is the esoteric significance?

Brahmā’s ‘sleep’ parallels pralaya as cosmic latency; inwardly, it maps to deep absorption where differentiated experience collapses into undivided potential.