चतुर्दशविधं भूतजालमावलितान्तरम् । जगज्जठरगर्त्तौघं प्रसरिष्यति वै ततः ॥ १७ ॥
caturdaśavidhaṁ bhūtajālamāvalitāntaram | jagajjaṭharagarttaughaṁ prasariṣyati vai tataḥ || 17 ||
Translation
From that, the net of beings of fourteen kinds, filling all within, will spread through the many hollows in the belly of the world.
Word by word
- caturdaśa
- fourteen
- vidhaṁ
- of kinds
- bhūta
- of beings
- jālam
- the net
- āvalita
- filling
- antaram
- all within
- jagaj
- (jagat) of the world
- jaṭhara
- in the belly
- gartta
- hollows
- ōghaṁ
- through the many
- prasariṣyati
- will spread
- vai
- indeed
- tataḥ
- from that
Meaning
The commentary introduces the verse as showing that this (Supreme Self), as the vital breath of each being, is the cause of every inward act. There are fourteen worlds, and in each the shapes and kinds of creatures differ; so, by the difference of the fourteen worlds, the fourteen kinds of beings, through the vital breath already described, pervaded by it (by Brahman), move about in the many hollows within the cosmic egg. Another commentary: the breath will move in the hollows within the cosmic egg. The fourteen worlds are the seven above and the seven below; the "belly of the world" is the inside of the egg of Brahmā.