Shloka 3

भार्गवसर्गः, ऋषिवंशाः, वह्नयः (अग्निवंशः), पितृसृष्टिः

Devanagari script

आयतिर् नियतिश् चैव मेरोः कन्ये महात्मनः धातृविधात्रोस् ते भार्ये तयोर् जातौ सुताव् उभौ

Transliteration

āyatir niyatiś caiva meroḥ kanye mahātmanaḥ dhātṛvidhātros te bhārye tayor jātau sutāv ubhau

Translation

Āyati and Niyati—two daughters of the great Meru—became the wives of Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ; and from those two unions, two sons were born.

Word by Word

• आयतिः: Āyati
• आयतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नियतिः: Niyati
• नियतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Discourse marker (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse marker (Avadhāraṇa/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• मेरोः: of Meru
• मेरोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कन्ये: two daughters
• कन्ये: Apposition (Viśeṣya/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled (Meru)
• महात्मनः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् आत्मा यस्य)

• धातृविधात्रोः: of Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ
• धातृविधात्रोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ + विधातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-समासः (धातृ च विधाता च)

• ते: those (two)
• ते: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• भार्ये: two wives
• भार्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• जातौ: were born
• जातौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• सुतौ: two sons
• सुतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक/सर्वनामसदृश (both)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Continuation of Bhṛgu-line creation: Meru’s daughters Āyati and Niyati marrying Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ; their progeny

Teaching: Historical

Quality: matter-of-fact

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Characters & Entities

• Meru
• Āyati
• Niyati
• Dhātṛ
• Vidhātṛ

FAQs

What is the significance of Meru’s daughters in the Vishnu Purana?

They function as genealogical bridges: Meru (the cosmic axis) is connected through his daughters to divine functionaries like Dhātṛ and Vidhātṛ, showing how cosmic geography and cosmic administration are woven into a single lineage-based order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic order through genealogy here?

Parāśara presents order as relational and inherited—roles and principles are expressed through marriages and offspring, turning abstract governance of the universe into a traceable sacred family-line within the Purāṇic narrative.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the genealogy is framed as part of the universe’s regulated structure—an order ultimately sustained by Vishnu as the Supreme Reality and inner ruler (antaryāmin) behind creation and function.