Shloka 23
Adhyāya 352: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Saṃvāda — Uñchavrata-niścaya
Dialogue and the Resolve to Practice Uñchavrata
रुद्र ववाच बहव: पुरुषा ब्रह्मांस्त्वया सृष्टा: स्वयम्भुवा । सृज्यन्ते चापरे ब्रह्मनू स चैक: पुरुषो विराट्
rudra uvāca—bahavaḥ puruṣā brahman tvayā sṛṣṭāḥ svayambhuvā | sṛjyante cāpare brahman sa caikaḥ puruṣo virāṭ |
鲁陀罗说道：“噢，梵天，你是自生者（Svayambhū）。你创造了许多被称为‘补卢沙’（puruṣa）的众生，也仍在不断生出其他补卢沙。然而那毗罗吒（Virāṭ）也不过是一位补卢沙；那么，他的殊胜之处究竟在哪里？”
पितामह उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a philosophical inquiry: if many puruṣas are created, what makes Virāṭ unique? It pushes the discussion toward distinguishing the ordinary individual beings from the cosmic, all-encompassing principle (Virāṭ) that functions as the universal aggregate or manifest totality.
Within Bhīṣma’s discourse, a prior dialogue is recalled in which Rudra addresses Brahmā. Rudra challenges Brahmā’s account of creation by asking why the single being called Virāṭ should be considered special when he appears to be just another puruṣa among many.