Shloka 189

Cosmic Time, Cycles of Creation and Dissolution, and the Varāha Uplift of Earth

Devanagari script

मेधा श्रुतं क्रिया दण्डं नयं विनयमवे च । बोधं बुद्धिस्तथा लज्जा विनयं वपुरात्मजम्

Transliteration

medhā śrutaṃ kriyā daṇḍaṃ nayaṃ vinayamave ca | bodhaṃ buddhistathā lajjā vinayaṃ vapurātmajam

Translation

ปัญญา ความรู้จากการสดับ การกระทำอันชอบ วินัยและการลงโทษ นโยบายอันเที่ยงตรง และความถ่อมตน; อีกทั้งความรู้แจ้ง วิจารณญาณ ความละอาย และความประพฤติดี—ทั้งหมดนี้คือบุตรแท้ที่เกิดจากอุปนิสัยและกายใจของตนเอง

Word by Word

• मेधा: intelligence
• मेधा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• श्रुतम्: learning (what is heard)
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruta (प्रातिपदिक; √śru (धातु) ‘to hear’ से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘श्रुत’ = learning/scripture

• क्रिया: action/ritual act
• क्रिया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दण्डम्: punishment/rod
• दण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नयम्: policy/justice
• नयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विनयम्: humility/discipline
• विनयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अवे: indeed/also (particle)
• अवे: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ave (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पाठभेद/निपात (particle; often used as emphatic/metrical filler)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बोधम्: understanding
• बोधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb)

• लज्जा: modesty/shame
• लज्जा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lajjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विनयम्: humility/discipline
• विनयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वपुः: body/form
• वपुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• आत्मजम्: offspring
• आत्मजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātma + ja (प्रातिपदिक; √jan (धातु))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘आत्मनः जायते’)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative verse; speaker not identifiable from the single śloka alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: विनयमवे = विनयम् + अवे; बुद्धिस्तथा = बुद्धिः + तथा; वपुरात्मजम् = वपुः + आत्मजम्।

FAQs

What is the central teaching of this verse?

It teaches that virtues like intelligence, learning, disciplined action, discernment, and humility are the true “offspring” of one’s own cultivated character.

Does this verse relate to creation (sṛṣṭi) or to ethics (dharma)?

Although it appears in the Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa, its content is primarily ethical and didactic, listing inner virtues that sustain righteous living.

What is the ethical lesson emphasized here?

The ethical lesson is self-formation: a person’s real legacy is not external possessions but the virtues and disciplined conduct they develop within themselves.