Shloka 14

Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank

Devanagari script

धरण्यामथ लीनायामप्सु चैकार्णवे पुरा । ज्योतिर्भूते जले चापि लीने ज्योतिषि चानिले

Transliteration

dharaṇyām atha līnāyām apsu caikārṇave purā | jyotir-bhūte jale cāpi līne jyotiṣi cānile, nṛpaśreṣṭha adya tvaṁ pañcabhūtānām ātyantika-pralayasya vṛttāntaṁ śṛṇu |

Translation

毗耶娑波耶那说道：“大王之最胜者啊，如今请听五大之终极溶解。太古之时，大地没入一味大海之水；而水化为光，复没入光；光又没入风，广大世界遂被一层层吞没。及至诸相尽皆退归其更微细之因，处处无可辨识——唯有黑暗，别无他物。”

Word by Word

• धरण्याम्: in the earth (on the earth)
• धरण्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• लीनायाम्: having dissolved/merged
• लीनायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लीन
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अप्सु: in the waters
• अप्सु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एकार्णवे: in the single ocean (cosmic flood)
• एकार्णवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकार्णव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly/once
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• ज्योतिः: light/tejas (fire principle)
• ज्योतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• भूते: having become/being (in the state of)
• भूते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• लीने: when dissolved/merged
• लीने: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लीन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ज्योतिषि: in light/tejas
• ज्योतिषि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अनिले: in wind/air
• अनिले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• nṛpaśreṣṭha (the king addressed)
• dharaṇī (earth)
• ap (water)
• ekārṇava (single cosmic ocean)
• jyotis/tejas (light/fire principle)
• anila/vāyu (wind/air)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All manifested forms are impermanent and ultimately resolve back into subtler causes; recognizing this cosmic reabsorption supports detachment and steadiness in dharma by loosening clinging to transient worldly structures.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes an ancient scene of cosmic dissolution: earth merges into water, water into the fiery/light principle, and that into wind, indicating a stepwise withdrawal of the elements until perceptible reality disappears into darkness.