Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

मर्यादाकारकास् तेषां तथान्ये वर्षपर्वताः सप्तैव तेषां नामानि शृणुष्व मुनिसत्तम

Transliteration

maryādākārakās teṣāṃ tathānye varṣaparvatāḥ saptaiva teṣāṃ nāmāni śṛṇuṣva munisattama

Translation

Diese Berge setzen die Grenzen und die Ordnung jener Regionen; und es gibt auch andere Varṣa-Berge, die die Einteilungen der Varṣas bestimmen. O bester der Weisen, höre nun die sieben Namen jener Grenzberge.

Word by Word

• मर्यादा-कारकाः: boundary-makers / limit-definers
• मर्यादा-कारकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मर्यादायाः कारकाः)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise / also
• तथा: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• वर्ष-पर्वताः: mountains of the regions (varṣas)
• वर्ष-पर्वताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्षस्य पर्वताः)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; विशेषणम् (indeclinable numeral used adjectivally)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: Avyaya (Emphasis/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle of emphasis)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• नामानि: names
• नामानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

• शृणुष्व: listen
• शृणुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मुनि-सत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनि-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनीनां सत्तमः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Jambūdvīpa-varṣa-vibhāga and the boundary-mountains (maryādā-parvata) that demarcate the regions

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Varṣa-parvatas (boundary mountains)

FAQs

What is the significance of boundary-making mountains (maryādākāraka) in the Vishnu Purana?

They represent the cosmic ordering of the world—natural markers that divide and define varṣas, showing a structured universe arranged according to divine law.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the division of varṣas in this passage?

He states that specific mountains function as the defining boundaries of the varṣas and announces that there are seven principal such mountains whose names he will enumerate next.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this geographical context?

Even when describing geography, the Purana frames the world as an ordered manifestation sustained by the Supreme Reality—Vishnu—whose sovereignty is reflected in the universe’s intelligible divisions.