Chapter 2 · Dvitīyo’dhyāyaḥ (Second Chapter)
Verse 23
कालदण्डाद्यमो दण्डं पाशं चाम्बुपतिर्ददौ। प्रजापतिश्चाक्षमालां ददौ ब्रह्मा कमण्डलुम् ॥ २३ ॥
kāladaṇḍādyamō daṇḍaṁ pāśaṁ cāmbupatirdadau | prajāpatiścākṣamālāṁ dadau brahmā kamaṇḍalum || 23 ||
Translation
'Yama gave a staff (extracted) from his own staff of Time. The lord of waters (Varuṇa) gave a noose. And Prajāpati (Brahmā) gave a rosary; Brahmā gave a water pot.'
Word by word
- kāla daṇḍāt
- from his staff of Time
- yamaḥ
- Yama (god of death)
- daṇḍam
- a staff
- pāśam
- a noose
- ca
- and
- ambupatiḥ
- the lord of waters (Varuṇa)
- dadau
- gave
- prajāpatiḥ
- Prajāpati (Brahmā)
- akṣamālām
- a rosary
- brahmā
- Brahmā
- kamaṇḍalum
- a water pot
Meaning
Yama, the god of death and justice, gives a staff (daṇḍa), representing the power to punish and uphold dharma. Varuṇa, already mentioned, gives a noose (pāśa), symbolizing binding and restraint. Brahmā, the creator, offers a rosary (akṣamālā) for japa (meditative repetition) and a water pot (kamaṇḍalu), symbols of asceticism, wisdom, and the source of creation.