Shloka 90

Devanagari script

मथ्यमाने ततस् तस्मिन् क्षीराब्धौ देवदानवैः हविर्धामाभवत् पूर्वं सुरभिः सुरपूजिता

Transliteration

mathyamāne tatas tasmin kṣīrābdhau devadānavaiḥ havirdhāmābhavat pūrvaṃ surabhiḥ surapūjitā

Translation

As the Devas and the Dānavas churned the Ocean of Milk, first arose Surabhī, radiant as the very abode of sacrificial oblations, honoured and worshipped by the gods.

Word by Word

• मथ्यमाने: while (it was) being churned
• मथ्यमाने: अधिकरण (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मथ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले (लट्-अर्थे) कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तम्; सप्तमी एकवचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे/सप्तमी-स्थाने (locative absolute) — Present passive participle (Śatṛ), Locative singular, used in locative absolute

• ततः: then
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; काल/क्रमवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of sequence)

• तस्मिन्: in that (ocean)
• तस्मिन्: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे; सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचनम् — Locative singular

• क्षीराब्धौ: in the ocean of milk
• क्षीराब्धौ: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: क्षीरस्य अब्धिः); पुल्लिङ्गः; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचनम् — Locative singular

• देवदानवैः: by the gods and demons
• देवदानवैः: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + दानव (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमासः (देवाश्च दानवाश्च); पुल्लिङ्गः; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचनम् — Instrumental plural

• हविर्धामा: (one) whose abode is oblation / the oblation-fire (name/epithet)
• हविर्धामा: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् + धामन् (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (हविषः धाम); नपुंसकलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचनम् — Nominative singular

• अभवत्: arose / came into being
• अभवत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect); परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम् — 3rd person singular, imperfect

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम्; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of time)

• सुरभिः: Surabhi (the wish-cow)
• सुरभिः: कर्ता (हविर्धाम्नः विशेष्य/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम् — Nominative singular

• सुरपूजिता: worshipped by the gods
• सुरपूजिता: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुर + पूजित (पूज् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः (सुरैः पूजिता); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-विशेषणम्; स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा, एकवचनम् — Past passive participle adjective, nominative singular feminine

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Account of the churning of the Ocean of Milk and the successive emergents (ratnas)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: From the cosmic churning, auspicious powers that sustain yajña and prosperity manifest before other boons, indicating sacrifice as a foundational ordering principle.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Prioritize offerings, gratitude, and disciplined giving as the first ‘fruit’ of effort before seeking personal gains.

Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order and its supports arise within the Lord’s governed universe, showing a world dependent on the Supreme while remaining real.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Surabhī
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Kṣīrābdhi (Ocean of Milk)

FAQs

What is the significance of Surabhī emerging first during the churning of the ocean in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Surabhī as the earliest treasure to arise, symbolizing the primacy of yajña (sacrificial order) and nourishment—foundations for sustaining dharma and the world.

How does Sage Parāśara frame the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthana) in this passage?

Parāśara narrates it as a cosmic event jointly enacted by Devas and Dānavas, where ordered manifestations emerge sequentially—here beginning with Surabhī, revered by the gods.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context, even if not named in the verse?

Within the Vishnu Purana’s Vaishnava cosmology, such emergences occur under Vishnu’s sovereign preservation of ṛta/dharma—divine gifts arise to uphold sacrifice, prosperity, and cosmic stability.