Shloka 92

Pracetās, Māriṣā, Dakṣa’s Re-manifestation, and the Brahma-parastava; Cyclic Creation and Genealogies

Devanagari script

बालिशा बत यूयं वै नास्या जानीत वै भुवः अन्तर् ऊर्ध्वम् अधश् चैव कथं स्रक्ष्यथ वै प्रजाः

Transliteration

bāliśā bata yūyaṃ vai nāsyā jānīta vai bhuvaḥ antar ūrdhvam adhaś caiva kathaṃ srakṣyatha vai prajāḥ

Translation

Truly, you are childish! You do not know the nature of this world—what is within, above, and below. Without such knowledge, how will you protect the creatures?

Word by Word

• बालिशाः: foolish ones
• बालिशाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बालिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे (addressing)

• बत: indeed; alas
• बत: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बत (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (exclamatory particle)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अस्याः: of this (earth/world)
• अस्याः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• जानीत: you know
• जानीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• भुवः: of the earth/world
• भुवः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुव्/भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुवः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (भुवः = of the earth/world)

• अन्तः: inside; within
• अन्तः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तर् (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/preposition-like): 'within/inside'

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगवत् क्रियाविशेषण (directional adverb): 'upwards'

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (directional adverb): 'downwards/below'

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: just; indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive/emphatic particle)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• स्रक्ष्यथ: will you create
• स्रक्ष्यथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; रूपम्: स्रक्ष्यथ (सृज् → स्रक्ष्य-)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्रजाः: creatures; progeny
• प्रजाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating within the cosmological discourse to Maitreya; the verse itself reflects an admonitory voice within the description of governance/cosmic knowledge)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Why Dakṣa’s sons abandon procreation after receiving instruction about the worlds

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without knowing the inner constitution of the world and its higher and lower planes, one cannot rightly sustain or protect beings.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Cultivate discernment—study cosmology/ethics, reflect on consequences, and avoid acting from naïve certainty.

Vishishtadvaita: The world-order (loka-vyavasthā) is intelligible because it is governed from within by Bhagavān; knowing that order is part of right dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Prajā (beings/subjects)

FAQs

What is the significance of knowing the worlds ‘within, above, and below’ in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames cosmological knowledge as practical wisdom: understanding the layered universe (inner regions, higher lokas, lower realms) is presented as essential for sustaining order and protecting beings.

How does Sage Parāśara connect cosmology with dharma and governance here?

By rebuking ignorance and linking it to failure in protecting prajā, the text implies that righteous rule depends on understanding the cosmic order one is meant to uphold.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology is ultimately Vishnu-centered: the ordered hierarchy of realms and the protection of beings are understood as operating under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty.