Shloka 46
वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation
तस्योपरि जलौघस्य महती नौर् इव स्थिता विततत्वात् तु देहस्य न मही याति संप्लवम्
tasyopari jalaughasya mahatī naur iva sthitā vitatatvāt tu dehasya na mahī yāti saṃplavam
Auf jener gewaltigen Wasserflut ruht die große Erde wie ein mächtiges Schiff auf den Wellen. Und weil Sein Leib unermesslich ausgedehnt ist, sinkt die Erde nicht in die Sintflut: sie wird getragen und geht nicht in der Überschwemmung unter.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
FAQs
The simile conveys that the Earth remains afloat and stable amid the cosmic waters because it is supported by the Divine foundation—Vishnu’s sustaining presence.
He teaches that the Earth does not sink into the deluge because the Lord’s body is vitata—immeasurably spread out and all-supporting—serving as the cosmic basis that prevents submergence.
Vishnu is presented as the Supreme sustaining Reality: not merely a deity within the cosmos, but the underlying support by which creation remains ordered and preserved even amid overwhelming waters.