ब्रह्मणस्त्ववतीर्णाया अष्टौ जन्मशतानि मे । नानायोनीन्यतीतानि पश्यामीवाऽधुना पुनः ॥ ३५ ॥
brahmaṇastvavatīrṇāyā aṣṭau janmaśatāni mē | nānāyōnīnyatītāni paśyāmīvā’dhunā punaḥ || 35 ||
Translation
Since I came down from Brahman, eight hundred births of mine have passed, in many kinds of womb; I seem to see them again now.
Word by word
- brahmaṇas
- (brahmaṇaḥ) from Brahman
- tva
- (tu) and
- avatīrṇāyā
- since I came down
- aṣṭau
- eight
- janma
- births
- śatāni
- hundred
- mē
- of mine
- nānā
- many kinds of
- yōnīnya
- (yonīni) in womb
- atītāni
- have passed
- paśyāmi
- I see
- iva
- seem to
- adhunā
- now
- punaḥ
- again
Meaning
Another commentary: since this creation of Brahmā arose, I have had eight hundred births; I see them again as if present. The list that follows is not a moral tale of rising and falling; it is a picture of the restlessness of becoming.