Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 47, Shloka 31

Adhyaya 47 — Brahma’s Awakening and the Ninefold Scheme of Creation

Sanskrit

प्रथमो महतः सर्गो विज्ञेयो ब्रह्मणस्तु सः ।

तन्मात्राणां द्वितीयस्तु भूतसर्गः स उच्यते ॥

Transliteration

prathamo mahataḥ sargo vijñeyo brahmaṇastu saḥ / tanmātrāṇāṃ dvitīyastu bhūtasargaḥ sa ucyate

Translation

Sự sáng tạo thứ nhất là của Mahat (Đại Nguyên Lý), cần hiểu là thuộc về Brahmā. Sự sáng tạo thứ hai là của các tanmātra; được gọi là sự sáng tạo của các yếu tố (bhūta-sarga).

Word by Word

• prathamaḥ: first
• prathamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• mahataḥ: of Mahat (the Great principle)
• mahataḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सांख्ये ‘महत्’), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• sargaḥ: creation
• sargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vijñeyaḥ: is to be understood (as)
• vijñeyaḥ: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-jñā (धातु) + ya (कृत्)
• Form: य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive: ‘to be known’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahman; of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक (adversative/emphatic particle)

• saḥ: that
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tanmātrāṇām: of the tanmātras (subtle elements)
• tanmātrāṇām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanmātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समास: तत् + मात्रा (तत्पुरुष: ‘तस्य मात्रा’ → subtle element)

• dvitīyaḥ: second
• dvitīyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेषार्थक (particle)

• bhūtasargaḥ: creation of the elements/beings
• bhūtasargaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta-sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: भूतानां सर्गः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• saḥ: that
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ucyate: is said; is called
• ucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

Speakers

• Cosmological narration within the Markandeya Purana’s teaching context (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Brahmā

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sāṃkhya categories (mahat, tanmātra, bhūta)
• Pañcalakṣaṇa: Sarga

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Creation is presented as a graded unfolding from intelligence (mahat) to subtle potentials (tanmātras) and then to elemental manifestation—encouraging a worldview where mind/intellect is primary in the chain of experience.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Directly Sarga: it enumerates foundational stages of cosmic emanation (prākṛta evolution).

What is the esoteric significance?

Mahat signifies cosmic discernment; tanmātras are archetypal sensory potentials. The sequence can be read inwardly as the descent from pure knowing into sense-structured reality.