Shloka 23

Adhyaya 48 — The Emanation of Beings from Brahma: Night, Day, Twilight, and the Orders of Creation

Sanskrit

वर्णेन कपिलेनोग्रास्ते भूताः पिशिताशनाः ।

ध्यायतो गां ततस्तस्य गन्धर्वा जज्ञिरे सुताः ॥

Transliteration

varṇena kapilenogrās te bhūtāḥ piśitāśanāḥ | dhyāyato gāṃ tatas tasya gandharvā jajñire sutāḥ ||

Translation

那些凶猛的众生，呈黄褐之色，遂成食肉者。随后，当他观想母牛之时，乾闼婆（Gandharva）作为他的诸子而诞生。

Word by Word

• varṇena: by color
• varṇena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kapilena: tawny/brown
• kapilena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kapila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with varṇena

• ugrāḥ: fierce
• ugrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ugra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhūtāḥ: having become; became
• bhūtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त, Past Passive Participle) used adjectivally; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• piśita-aśanāḥ: flesh-eaters
• piśita-aśanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśita (प्रातिपदिक) + aśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘piśitaṃ aśnanti’/‘piśitasya aśanāḥ’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• dhyāyataḥ: of (him) meditating
• dhyāyataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-present participle (शतृ), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); ‘of (him) meditating’

• gām: a cow
• gām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: then/thereupon
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• gandharvāḥ: Gandharvas
• gandharvāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• jajñire: were born/arose
• jajñire: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, Perfect), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sutāḥ: sons/offspring
• sutāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); apposition to gandharvāḥ

Speakers

• Narratorial cosmology within Markandeya Purana’s discourse frame (exact speaker depends on edition’s framing dialogue)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahmā (implied as creator)

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sarga (creation)
• Classes of beings
• Meditative creation

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text contrasts violent consumption (piśitāśana) with a creative, contemplative act yielding refined beings (Gandharvas), implying that inner disposition shapes the quality of what manifests.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sarga: a catalog of created orders (bhūtas, gandharvas) and their characteristic marks (color, diet, origin in contemplation).

What is the esoteric significance?

Meditation on ‘go’ can be read symbolically as contemplation on nourishment, earth, or even vāk (since ‘go’ is a multivalent Vedic symbol), from which harmonious arts (Gandharvas) arise.