Shloka 45

Devanagari script

एवं संस्तूयमानस् तु परमात्मा महीधरः उज्जहार क्षितिं क्षिप्रं न्यस्तवांश् च महार्णवे

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃstūyamānas tu paramātmā mahīdharaḥ ujjahāra kṣitiṃ kṣipraṃ nyastavāṃś ca mahārṇave

Translation

Thus praised, the Supreme Self—Mahīdhara, the Bearer of the Earth—swiftly lifted up the Earth and set her down again upon the great ocean.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of manner)

• संस्तूयमानः: being praised
• संस्तूयमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √स्तु (धातु) + यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/भावे शानच्-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (being praised)

• तु: indeed; then
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक/विरोधार्थक-निपातः (particle: but/indeed)

• परमात्मा: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (परमः आत्मा)

• महीधरः: earth-bearer (boar-form as bearer)
• महीधरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महीम् धरति)

• उज्जहार: lifted up; brought out
• उज्जहार: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षितिम्: the earth
• क्षितिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb: quickly)

• न्यस्तवान्: having placed
• न्यस्तवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + √अस्/√स्था? (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ‘न्यस्त’ from नि+√अस्/√स्था in sense ‘to place/lay’, k्त; then क्तवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकाले क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (having placed/laid)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction: and)

• महार्णवे: in the great ocean
• महार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् अर्णवः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Narration of the Lord’s act of earth-lifting upon being praised.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: To physically raise the Earth from the waters and re-seat her so that terrestrial order and further creation can continue.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Re-establishment of Bhūmi as the stable support for beings and their dharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: When the Supreme Self is praised with right understanding, He responds with swift protection that restores cosmic order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: In upheaval, anchor practice in stuti, nāma, and śaraṇāgati—trusting that protection may come decisively and unexpectedly.

Vishishtadvaita: The ‘Paramātmā’ is simultaneously the transcendent Self and the active protector in the world, aligning with qualified non-dualism’s real world upheld by God.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Paramatma)
• Earth (Kṣiti/Bhūmi)
• Mahārṇava (the great ocean)

FAQs

What is the significance of lifting the Earth from the great ocean in the Vishnu Purana?

It signifies the restoration of cosmic order: when the world is submerged in primal waters, Vishnu, as the Supreme Self, re-establishes the Earth so creation and dharma can proceed.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s role in cosmic preservation here?

Parāśara presents Vishnu as Paramātmā and Mahīdhara—both transcendent and actively sustaining—who responds to praise and stabilizes the cosmos by raising and placing the Earth.

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

Calling Vishnu “Paramātmā” frames him as the Supreme Reality behind preservation: the act is not merely heroic, but metaphysical—grounding the world’s existence in the highest divine principle.