ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च सर्वा वा भूतजातयः । नाशमेवाऽनुधावन्ति सलिलानीव वाडवम् ॥ २१ ॥
brahmā viṣṇuśca rudraśca sarvā vā bhūtajātayaḥ | nāśamēvā’nudhāvanti salilānīva vāḍavam || 21 ||
Translation
Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra, and all the kinds of beings, run only towards destruction, as waters run to the submarine fire.
Word by word
- brahmā
- Brahmā
- viṣṇuś
- (viṣṇuḥ) Viṣṇu
- ca
- and
- rudraś
- (rudraḥ) Rudra
- sarvā
- (sarvāḥ) all
- vā
- and
- bhūta
- of beings
- jātayaḥ
- the kinds
- nāśam
- towards destruction
- ēva
- only
- anudhāvanti
- run
- salilāni
- waters
- iva
- as
- vāḍavam
- to the submarine fire
Meaning
The three gods and all creatures rush to their end as the rivers rush to the sea where the vāḍava fire drinks them (1.23.4). The commentary: as all water goes to the sea-fire. Even the trinity, in the forms they take within a cycle, has an end.