Shloka 20

वंशवर्णनम् तथा विवाहप्रार्थना

Genealogy of the Ikshvaku Line and the Proposal for Marriage

Devanagari script

अव्यक्तप्रभवो ब्रह्मा शाश्वतो नित्य अव्यय:।तस्मान्मरीचि स्संजज्ञे मरीचे: काश्यप: सुत:।।1.70.20।।

Transliteration

avyakta-prabhavo brahmā śāśvato nitya avyayaḥ |

tasmān marīciḥ sañjajñe marīceḥ kāśyapaḥ sutaḥ || 1.70.20 ||

Translation

由不可显现者而生梵天（Brahmā）——常住、恒常、不坏；由梵天生摩利支（Marīci），由摩利支生其子迦叶（Kaśyapa）。

Word by Word

• अव्यक्तप्रभवः: having origin in the unmanifest
• अव्यक्तप्रभवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यक्त-प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक; अव्यक्त + प्रभव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• शाश्वतः: eternal
• शाश्वतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• नित्यः: constant
• नित्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• अव्ययः: imperishable
• अव्ययः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• तस्मात्: from him
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• मरीचिः: Marīci
• मरीचिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• संजज्ञे: was born
• संजज्ञे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मरीचेः: of Marīci
• मरीचेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• काश्यपः: Kaśyapa
• काश्यपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काश्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; काश्यपः इति विशेष्यस्य अप्पोज़िशन (apposition)

Context

"The extremely righteous, renowned and most brilliant Kusadhwaja, my younger brother is (at present) ruling the sacred kingdom of Sankasya, which is like the aerial chariot Pushpaka, with darts planted in water as boundary on the bank of the auspicious, sacred river Ikshumati.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Marīci
• Kaśyapa

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is grounded in truth-bearing tradition: lineage narration links human royal legitimacy to a sacred cosmological order, emphasizing continuity and accountability.

What is the narrative situation?

Vasiṣṭha begins the formal genealogy of the Ikṣvāku line by tracing origins through primordial figures.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vasiṣṭha’s fidelity to satya—accurate, orderly transmission of inherited knowledge.