Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तैर् इयं पृथिवी सर्वा सप्तद्वीपा सकानना यथाप्रदेशम् अद्यापि धर्मतः परिपाल्यते

Transliteration

tair iyaṃ pṛthivī sarvā saptadvīpā sakānanā yathāpradeśam adyāpi dharmataḥ paripālyate

Translation

By them, this whole Earth—together with its seven continents and its forests—has, even to this day, been safeguarded in every region according to the rule of Dharma.

Word by Word

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (instrumental plural)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (nominative singular)

• पृथिवी: earth
• पृथिवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• सर्वा: entire
• सर्वा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with पृथिवी)

• सप्तद्वीपा: having seven continents
• सप्तद्वीपा: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः, विशेषणम् (having seven islands/continents)

• सकानना: with forests
• सकानना: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह/सहित-अर्थे उपसर्गवत्) + कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (सहित-काननैः), विशेषणम्

• यथाप्रदेशम्: according to (their) respective regions
• यथाप्रदेशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + प्रदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अव्ययीभाव-समासः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (according to each region)

• अद्यापि: even today; still
• अद्यापि: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-अव्ययम् + निपातः (even today/still)

• धर्मतः: according to dharma; righteously
• धर्मतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम् (ablatival adverb); ‘धर्मतः’ = धर्मानुसारम्

• परिपाल्यते: is protected/ruled
• परिपाल्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How the earth (with its divisions) is protected and ordered through dharma and rulers.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dharma is concretely expressed as protection and proper governance of the inhabited world in its diverse regions.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Treat stewardship—of land, community, and institutions—as a dharmic duty requiring fairness and locality-sensitive care.

Vishishtadvaita: World-order is sustained through divinely grounded dharma operating via embodied agents (kings) within Viṣṇu’s cosmic governance.

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Pṛthivī)
• Sapta-dvīpa (seven continents/island-continents)
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the significance of Dharma-based governance in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames political power as legitimate only when it protects the Earth in alignment with dharma, maintaining order across all regions and peoples.

How does Sage Parāśara explain regional order (yathāpradeśam) in this context?

He emphasizes that protection and administration must be suited to each locality, yet always rooted in dharma—suggesting a universal ethic applied with regional discernment.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Although not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s theology treats such dharmic preservation of the world as ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s role as the Supreme Sustainer, expressed through rightful rulers.