Shloka 36

Devanagari script

दंष्ट्राग्रविन्यस्तम् अशेषम् एतद् भूमण्डलं नाथ विभाव्यते ते विगाहतः पद्मवनं विलग्नं सरोजिनीपत्रम् इवोढपङ्कम्

Transliteration

daṃṣṭrāgravinyastam aśeṣam etad bhūmaṇḍalaṃ nātha vibhāvyate te vigāhataḥ padmavanaṃ vilagnaṃ sarojinīpatram ivoḍhapaṅkam

Translation

O Lord, this entire circle of the earth is beheld as resting upon the very tip of Your tusk—like a lotus-leaf that, after plunging through a lotus-grove, comes up with a little mud clinging to it.

Word by Word

• दंष्ट्रा-अग्र-विन्यस्तम्: placed on the tip of the tusk
• दंष्ट्रा-अग्र-विन्यस्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंष्ट्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वि + नि + अस्/न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (PPP, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष (दंष्ट्राग्रे विन्यस्तम्)

• अशेषम्: entire
• अशेषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying एतद्/भूमण्डलम्)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); सर्वनाम

• भूमण्डलम्: the earth-sphere
• भूमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष (भूमेः मण्डलम्)

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• विभाव्यते: is perceived/appears
• विभाव्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (Present Indicative, 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: is perceived/manifest)

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Shashthi-Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular); सर्वनाम

• विगाहतः: while entering/plunging
• विगाहतः: Kriya-hetu/Adhikarana (Circumstantial/सापेक्ष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + गाह् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी, एकवचन (Present active participle used as genitive absolute/qualifier: of (you) entering)

• पद्मवनम्: a lotus-grove
• पद्मवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष (पद्मानां वनम्)

• विलग्नम्: stuck, clinging
• विलग्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + लग् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (PPP, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying पद्मवनम्/पत्रम्)

• सरोजिनी-पत्रम्: a lotus-leaf
• सरोजिनी-पत्रम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरोजिनी (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष (सरोजिन्याः पत्रम्)

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana-marker (उपमानसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• ऊढ-पङ्कम्: covered with carried mud
• ऊढ-पङ्कम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऊढ (कृदन्त; वह् धातु, क्त) + पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष (पङ्कं ऊढम् = mud-carried/covered)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Description of the Lord’s world-protecting deeds and cosmic support, exemplified by Varāha lifting the earth.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: He descended as the Boar to lift and stabilize the earth when it had sunk into the cosmic waters.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of Bhūmaṇḍala and the stability of the worlds for beings to live and perform dharma

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Lord actively sustains the cosmos, even physically ‘bearing’ the earth, revealing divine immanence in cosmic order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Interpret crises as occasions to deepen trust in divine support while acting responsibly to ‘lift’ what has fallen in one’s own life.

Vishishtadvaita: Bhūmi as a real divine mode (śarīra) upheld by the Lord; God’s saving action is not illusory but world-affirming.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Varaha (Boar Avatar)
• Earth (Bhū/Prithivī)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Earth resting on Varaha’s tusk in the Vishnu Purana?

It symbolizes Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty and effortless guardianship: the entire world is upheld by Him as lightly as a lotus-leaf carries a trace of mud.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Lord’s action here in the dialogue structure?

Parāśara narrates to Maitreya a vivid simile to convey that the cosmic rescue is not a struggle for the Lord; it is a natural expression of His sustaining power.

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

Vishnu appears as the Supreme Reality who supports and restores creation—affirming the world’s dependence on Him and His role as protector of cosmic order.