Shloka 6

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश् च द्विजसत्तम पादोरुवक्षःस्थलतो मुखतश् च समुद्गताः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāś ca dvijasattama pādoruvakṣaḥsthalato mukhataś ca samudgatāḥ

Translation

โอ ผู้ประเสริฐในหมู่ทวิชะ! พราหมณ์ กษัตริย์ แพศย์ และศูทร ปรากฏจากรูปจักรวาล: จากพระบาท จากพระเพลา จากพระอุระ และจากพระโอษฐ์

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriyas
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वैश्याः: Vaishyas
• वैश्याः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शूद्राः: Shudras
• शूद्राः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधकः (conjunction)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पाद-उरु-वक्षःस्थलतः: from the feet, thighs, and chest-region
• पाद-उरु-वक्षःस्थलतः: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + उरु (प्रातिपदिक) + वक्षःस्थल (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) 'तः' = 'from'; द्वन्द्व-समासः (पाद + उरु + वक्षःस्थल)

• मुखतः: from the mouth
• मुखतः: Apadana (Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधकः (conjunction)

• समुद्गताः: arose, emerged
• समुद्गताः: Kriya (Predicate/State)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक-विशेषण (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'समुद्गत' = arisen/emerged

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the four varṇas arise from the cosmic form and their placement in the body-symbolism

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Varṇas are mapped onto the cosmic body to signify differentiated functions within an integrated whole.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See social and personal duties as complementary functions; cultivate respect and responsibility across roles.

Vishishtadvaita: The body-whole metaphor supports qualified non-dualism: plurality of functions within a single, ordered reality under the Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Characters & Entities

• Brahmanas
• Maitreya
• Parasara
• Purusha (Cosmic Being)

FAQs

What is the significance of varna-origination from the cosmic body in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames social categories as emanations of a single cosmic source, presenting varna as a functional ordering within creation rather than as independent origins.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the emergence of the four varnas?

Parāśara describes them as arising from different regions of the cosmic form—mouth, chest, thighs, and feet—using bodily symbolism to convey differentiated roles within one unified creation.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

In the Vishnu Purana’s creation theology, the cosmos and its ordering principles unfold under the sovereignty of the Supreme Reality; the verse supports a vision of unity-in-differentiation consistent with Vaishnava metaphysics.