Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

सर्गादौ यः परोब्रह्मा विष्णुरुद्रात्मरूपधृक् । भक्षयित्वा च सकलं जगत्येकार्णवीकृते

Transliteration

sargādau yaḥ parobrahmā viṣṇurudrātmarūpadhṛk | bhakṣayitvā ca sakalaṃ jagatyekārṇavīkṛte

Translation

เมื่อเริ่มต้นการสร้างสรรค์ พระปรพรหมผู้ทรงรับรูปเป็นพระวิษณุและพระรุทระ ครั้นทรงกลืนกินสรรพสิ่งแล้ว ก็ทรงทำให้โลกทั้งมวลกลายเป็นมหาสมุทรเดียว

Word by Word

• सर्ग-आदौ: at the beginning of creation
• सर्ग-आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सर्गस्य आदौ)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• परः: supreme
• परः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ब्रह्मा: Brahman / Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विष्णु-रुद्र-आत्म-रूप-धृक्: bearer of the forms of Viṣṇu and Rudra as his own
• विष्णु-रुद्र-आत्म-रूप-धृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धृ (धातु) + क्विप् (कृत्) → धृक्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (विष्णु-रुद्र-आत्मरूपं धरति)

• भक्षयित्वा: having devoured
• भक्षयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-भाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एक-अर्णवी-कृते: when (it was) made into a single ocean
• एक-अर्णवी-कृते: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्णवी (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्) → कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (made into)

Speaker

Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses in Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 3).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: परोब्रह्मा = परः + ब्रह्मा; विष्णुरुद्रात्मरूपधृक् = विष्णु + रुद्र + आत्म + रूप + धृक्; जगत्येकार्णवीकृते = जगत् + एकार्णवीकृते.

Characters & Entities

• Parabrahman
• Vishnu
• Rudra

FAQs

What does this verse teach about the relationship between Brahman, Viṣṇu, and Rudra?

It presents the Supreme reality (Parabrahman) as one, who can manifest or assume the functional forms of Viṣṇu and Rudra—suggesting unity of ultimate principle behind different divine roles.

What is meant by “making the world a single ocean” (ekārṇavī-kṛte)?

It refers to a dissolution-like state where differentiated creation is withdrawn, and the cosmos is described as submerged in primordial waters—an “ekārṇava” condition common in Purāṇic cosmology.

Is the act of “consuming everything” ethical or symbolic in Purāṇic thought?

It is primarily cosmological and symbolic: “consuming” signifies reabsorption of names and forms back into the Supreme at dissolution, not a moral act of harm within ordinary worldly ethics.