अध्याय १६ — शङ्कर-उमा-वरदानम् तथा तण्डि-स्तुतिः (Śaṅkara–Umā Boon-Granting and Taṇḍi’s Hymn)
प्रधानं महदव्यक्तं विशेषान्तं सवैकृतम् । ब्रह्मादिस्तम्बपर्यन्तं भूतादि सदसच्च यत्
pradhānaṃ mahad avyaktaṃ viśeṣāntaṃ savaikṛtam | brahmādistambaparyantaṃ bhūtādi sadasacca yat ||
Wika ni Vāyu: “Yaong katotohanang nagsisimula sa Pradhāna (unang Kalikasan) at Mahat (dakilang simulain), kabilang ang Di-nahahayag, at umaabot sa mga bunga ng pagbabago hanggang sa mga tiyak na sangkap—mula kay Brahmā hanggang sa isang talim ng damo; ang buong kalipunan ng mga nilalang at ang mga unang sangkap; at ang anumang kapwa umiiral at di-umiiral (nahahayag at di-nahahayag)—lahat ng iyon ay nasasaklaw (sa inilalarawan).”
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse presents a Sāṅkhya-style totality: from the unmanifest root (pradhāna/avyakta) through cosmic intellect (mahat) and subsequent evolutes down to the smallest visible forms. It emphasizes that reality spans both manifest (sat) and unmanifest (asat) domains, encouraging a comprehensive, non-narrow view of existence.
Vāyu is speaking in a didactic context, enumerating fundamental categories of existence. The statement functions as a philosophical catalog—mapping the hierarchy from the highest creator figure (Brahmā) to the humblest life-form (grass)—to frame the scope of what is being discussed or contemplated.