Shloka 30

सप्तद्वीप-समुद्र-प्रमाणम्: प्लक्षादि-द्वीपवर्णनं, लोकालोक-सीमा, चन्द्र-समुद्र-वृद्धिक्षयः

Devanagari script

शाल्मले ये तु वर्णाश् च वसन्त्य् एते महामुने कपिलाश् चारुणाः पीताः कृष्णाश् चैव पृथक् पृथक्

Transliteration

śālmale ye tu varṇāś ca vasanty ete mahāmune kapilāś cāruṇāḥ pītāḥ kṛṣṇāś caiva pṛthak pṛthak

Translation

أيها الحكيم العظيم، إنّ الفَرْنات (الأقوام) الساكنة في شالمَلَدْفيبا متمايزة: فمنهم كَپِلا (أسمر)، ومنهم أَرُنا (مُحْمَرّ)، ومنهم پِيتا (أصفر)، ومنهم كْرِشنا (أسود)، وكلُّ فريقٍ منفصلٌ بنوعه.

Word by Word

• शाल्मले: in Śālmala (varṣa/region)
• शाल्मले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• वर्णाः: colors/classes (varṇas)
• वर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• वसन्ति: dwell/abide
• वसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः)

• कपिलाः: tawny
• कपिलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• अरुणाः: reddish
• अरुणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पीताः: yellow
• पीताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• कृष्णाः: black
• कृष्णाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: separately)

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्ति; emphasis)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Śālmaladvīpa

FAQs

What is the significance of Śālmaladvīpa in the Vishnu Purana?

In this verse, Śālmaladvīpa is presented as one of the Purāṇic continental realms where humanity appears in distinct groups, illustrating the text’s broader cosmic-geographical ordering of the world.

How does Sage Parāśara explain human diversity in this context?

Parāśara describes the inhabitants as separate groups characterized by different complexions (kapila, aruṇa, pīta, kṛṣṇa), treating diversity as part of the structured cosmic landscape he is narrating to Maitreya.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana frames such cosmic arrangements as expressions of the sustaining, ordering power of Vishnu—the Supreme Reality who upholds the universe’s harmonious structure.