Shloka 92

वेन-पृथु-प्रादुर्भावः, राजधर्मः, पृथिवीदोहनम्

Vena–Pṛthu Episode and the Milking of Earth

Devanagari script

सैषा धात्री विधात्री च धारिणी पोषणी तथा सर्वस्य जगतः पृथ्वी विष्णुपादतलोद्भवा

Transliteration

saiṣā dhātrī vidhātrī ca dhāriṇī poṣaṇī tathā sarvasya jagataḥ pṛthvī viṣṇupādatalodbhavā

Translation

She is the Sustainer and the Ordainer; the Bearer and likewise the Nourisher. This Earth, foundation of the entire world, arose from the sole of Lord Viṣṇu’s feet.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• एषा: this (very one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — demonstrative ‘this’ (appositional)

• धात्री: supporter; nurse
• धात्री: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धात्री (प्रातिपदिक; √धा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• विधात्री: arranger; creator
• विधात्री: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + धात्री (प्रातिपदिक; √धा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• धारिणी: bearer; holder
• धारिणी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• पोषणी: nourisher
• पोषणी: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समाना)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पोषणी (प्रातिपदिक; √पुष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/उपसंहारार्थ) — ‘also; likewise’

• सर्वस्य: of all
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक/पुं, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — genitive singular used adjectivally

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — genitive singular

• पृथ्वी: the Earth
• पृथ्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — nominative singular

• विष्णुपादतलोद्भवा: arisen from the sole of Viṣṇu’s foot
• विष्णुपादतलोद्भवा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + पाद + तल + उद्भवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — adjective qualifying ‘पृथ्वी’; समास: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of Viṣṇu’s foot-sole, arisen’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nature of the Earth and her divine origin

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Earth’s sustaining power is grounded in Viṣṇu, from whose feet she arises, making worldly support ultimately divine.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Relate to the world as sacred stewardship: sustain, protect, and nourish life as service to the Lord’s manifestation.

Vishishtadvaita: Immanence: the Lord’s body (jagat) originates from Him and depends on Him, while remaining real and meaningful.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Earth (Prithvi/Bhumi)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Earth being called dhātrī and poṣaṇī in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames Pṛthvī as a living cosmic function—supporting and nourishing all beings—so the world’s stability is seen as an ordered, sacred principle rather than a mere physical fact.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Earth’s origin in this verse?

Parāśara states that the Earth is viṣṇupāda-talodbhavā—arisen from the sole of Viṣṇu’s foot—linking her existence directly to Viṣṇu as the supreme ground of manifestation.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Viṣṇu is presented as the ultimate source and authority behind cosmic support and nourishment, reinforcing a Vaiṣṇava view where preservation and order flow from the Supreme Reality.