Brahma Purana — The Threefold Suffering and the Path to Ultimate Dissolution, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अज्ञानं तामसो भावः कार्यारम्भप्रवृत्तयः अज्ञानिनां प्रवर्तन्ते कर्मलोपस् ततो द्विजाः //

Translation

此为《普拉那》之第25颂，以庄严神圣、兼具百科叙述之体例承续梵文传统而述。

Word by Word

• ajñānam: ignorance
• ajñānam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• tāmasaḥ: tamasic, of darkness
• tāmasaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying bhāvaḥ

• bhāvaḥ: state, disposition
• bhāvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• kārya-ārambha-pravṛttayaḥ: tendencies toward initiating actions
• kārya-ārambha-pravṛttayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक) + ārambha (प्रातिपदिक) + pravṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: kāryasya ārambhaḥ, tasya pravṛttayaḥ

• ajñāninām: of the ignorant people
• ajñāninām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñānin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pravartante: arise, proceed
• pravartante: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• karma-lopaḥ: omission of duties/rites
• karma-lopaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (प्रातिपदिक) + lopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: karmaṇām lopaḥ

• tataḥ: therefore, from that
• tataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb (अव्यय/क्रियाविशेषण) expressing cause/result

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (brahmins)
• dvijāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Plural (बहुवचन)

Speaker

• Not specified; the address 'dvijāḥ' indicates the audience includes the twice-born (ritual-ethical community).