Shloka 19

मानवसर्गः, चातुर्वर्ण्य-गुणकर्म, यज्ञ-प्रतिपादनम्, आश्रमधर्म-फल, नरकवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

गृहाणि च यथान्यायं तेषु चक्रुः पुरादिषु शीतातपादिबाधानां प्रशमाय महामते

Transliteration

gṛhāṇi ca yathānyāyaṃ teṣu cakruḥ purādiṣu śītātapādibādhānāṃ praśamāya mahāmate

Translation

And in those towns and other settlements they built dwellings in due measure, O great-minded one, to soothe the afflictions of cold, heat, and the like.

Word by Word

• गृहाणि: houses
• गृहाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• यथान्यायम्: according to rule, properly
• यथान्यायम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषणम्)

• तेषु: in them (therein)
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• चक्रुः: made, built
• चक्रुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पुरादिषु: in towns and the like
• पुरादिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पुरम् आदिः येषु तेषु = in towns etc.)

• शीतातपादिबाधानाम्: of afflictions such as cold and heat
• शीतातपादिबाधानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + आतप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + बाधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शीत-आतप-आदि-रूपाणां बाधानाम्)

• प्रशमाय: for alleviation, for pacification
• प्रशमाय: Sampradana (Dative/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-शम् (धातु) → प्रशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ-चतुर्थी (dative of purpose)

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How ordered dwelling and civic life arise to mitigate environmental afflictions

Teaching: Historical

Quality: pragmatic

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Human life becomes ‘ordered’ through measured, proper dwelling and civic arrangement to reduce suffering from environmental extremes.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Create supportive rhythms—simple living, appropriate boundaries, and care for community infrastructure—so practice and virtue are sustainable.

Vishishtadvaita: Embodied life and society are not negated; they are to be harmonized as a field for dharma and devotion under the Lord’s providence.

FAQs

What is the significance of building houses in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames housing as a dharmic, orderly response to nature—settled life is established to reduce suffering from heat, cold, and other hardships.

How does Sage Parāśara explain social organization in this context?

He describes civilization as structured and rule-governed (yathānyāyam), with towns and dwellings created to support stability and human welfare.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana’s creation narrative implies a cosmos sustained by higher order—human institutions arise as part of that divinely grounded harmony.