Shloka 48

Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon

Devanagari script

यदिदं सप्तमं जन्म पद्मजं ब्रह्मणो नूप । तत्रैष धर्म: कथित: स्वयं नारायणेन ह

Transliteration

yad idaṃ saptamaṃ janma padmajaṃ brahmaṇo nūpa | tatraiṣa dharmaḥ kathitaḥ svayaṃ nārāyaṇena ha, nareśvara |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“噢大王，在莲华所生的梵天第七次诞生之时，此达摩便被宣说——确由那罗延亲自教示。于劫初，主宰将此达摩授予心性清净、为诸世界之造主的梵天；其后，梵天首先把这达摩之教传与生主达叉（Dakṣa）。”

Word by Word

• {'yad idam': 'this which (is being spoken of here)', 'saptamam': 'seventh', 'janma': 'birth

• origin', 'padmajam': 'lotus-born (epithet of Brahmā)', 'brahmaṇaḥ': 'of Brahmā', 'nūpa': 'O king (vocative address)', 'tatra': 'there

• in that context/occasion', 'eṣaḥ dharmaḥ': 'this Dharma

• this law/teaching of righteousness', 'kathitaḥ': 'taught

• declared', 'svayam': 'personally

• Himself', 'nārāyaṇena': 'by Nārāyaṇa', 'ha': 'indeed

• emphatic particle (traditional narrative marker)', 'nareśvara': 'O lord of men

• O king', 'kalpa-ārambhe': 'at the beginning of the kalpa (aeon)', 'jagaddhātā': 'sustainer/creator of the world(s) (epithet of Brahmā)', 'śuddha-svarūpa': 'of pure nature/essence', 'upadeśa': 'instruction

• teaching', 'prajāpati': 'lord of creatures

• progenitor', 'dakṣa': 'Dakṣa (a Prajāpati)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Brahmā (Padmaja)
• Nārāyaṇa
• Dakṣa (Prajāpati)
• Kalpa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the divine origin and authoritative transmission of Dharma: Nārāyaṇa teaches Dharma directly to Brahmā at the start of the kalpa, and Brahmā then passes it on to Dakṣa. Dharma is presented as primordial, revealed, and preserved through a lineage of teachers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and situates the teaching within a cosmic timeline: during Brahmā’s lotus-born manifestation, Nārāyaṇa instructs Brahmā in Dharma at the beginning of creation, after which Brahmā first teaches Dakṣa, establishing an early chain of instruction.