Shloka 88

ध्रुवस्य तपः — देवमायाविघ्नाः, विष्णोर्दर्शनम्, स्तुतिः, ध्रुवस्थानप्रदानम्

Devanagari script

अन्येषां तद् वरं स्थानं कुले स्वायम्भुवस्य यत्

Transliteration

anyeṣāṃ tad varaṃ sthānaṃ kule svāyambhuvasya yat

Translation

For all others, that is held to be the most excellent station: to belong to the lineage of Svāyambhuva Manu.

Word by Word

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; genitive = of others

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative = that

• varam: excellent, best
• varam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; adjective = excellent, best

• sthānam: place, position
• sthānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; nominative = place/status

• kule: in the lineage
• kule: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative = in the lineage

• svāyambhuvasya: of Svāyambhuva
• svāyambhuvasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāyambhuva (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; genitive = of Svāyambhuva

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; relative pronoun = which/that (referring to sthānam)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why Dhruva’s birth and status are exceptional.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A noble birth in a dharmic lineage is praised as a highly valued human attainment, supporting the pursuit of higher ends.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Honor ethical inheritance—cultivate family and community duties as a foundation for spiritual practice rather than as mere status.

Vishishtadvaita: Social order (varṇāśrama/kula-dharma) is meaningful as a supportive limb for devotion to the Supreme.

Dynasty & Genealogy

Dharma Exemplar: kula-dharma (lineage-based righteousness)

Key Kings: Svāyambhuva Manu

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Svāyambhuva lineage (Manu-kula)

FAQs

What is the significance of belonging to Svāyambhuva Manu’s lineage in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse treats Svāyambhuva Manu’s family line as an especially exalted human station, because it anchors later rulers and communities in the earliest Manvantara framework of cosmic and social order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain lineage and status in this context?

Parāśara emphasizes genealogical placement—being situated within Manu’s primordial line—as a marker of preeminence, linking social rank to the Purāṇic chronology of Manvantaras.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Even when Vishnu is not named directly, the Manvantara system and Manu’s role are understood as operating under Vishnu’s supreme governance, where cosmic order and rightful sovereignty unfold according to his sustaining power.