Shloka 24

प्रियव्रतवंशवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीपविभागः, जम्बूद्वीप-वर्षविभागः, भरत-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

यानि किंपुरुषादीनि वर्षाण्य् अष्टौ महामुने तेषां स्वाभाविकी सिद्धिः सुखप्राया ह्य् अयत्नतः

Transliteration

yāni kiṃpuruṣādīni varṣāṇy aṣṭau mahāmune teṣāṃ svābhāvikī siddhiḥ sukhaprāyā hy ayatnataḥ

Translation

O great sage, in those eight regions beginning with Kiṃpuruṣa, attainment is natural; happiness comes almost effortlessly, without striving.

Word by Word

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (Neuter nom/acc pl; ‘which’)

• किंपुरुषादीनि: beginning with Kiṃpuruṣa
• किंपुरुषादीनि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किंपुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (किंपुरुषः आदिः येषाम्) ‘-ādi’ समाहार/समुच्चयार्थ (Neuter nom/acc pl; ‘beginning with Kiṃpuruṣa’)

• वर्षाणि: regions (varṣas)
• वर्षाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; (Neuter nom/acc pl; regions)

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम् (Numeral adjective; masc nom pl; used with implied ‘varṣāṇi’ as count)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् मुनिः) (Vocative singular; ‘O great sage’)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धे (Genitive plural; ‘of them’)

• स्वाभाविकी: natural
• स्वाभाविकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + इक (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine nom sg; ‘natural/innate’)

• सिद्धिः: attainment/perfection
• सिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्तृ/विषय (Feminine nom sg; attainment)

• सुखप्राया: mostly easy/pleasant
• सुखप्राया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सुखं प्रायः यस्याः) विशेषणम् (Feminine nom sg; ‘mostly pleasant/easy’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle; indeed/for)

• अयत्नतः: effortlessly
• अयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + यत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त क्रियाविशेषण (adverb; ‘without effort’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nature of the varṣas and the conditions of beings dwelling in them

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas (regions)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Different varṣas have differing karmic conditions; in some regions attainment is ‘svābhāvika’ (natural), highlighting Bhārata’s distinctive field for deliberate sādhanā.

Vedantic Theme: Karma

Application: Do not envy imagined ‘easy’ circumstances; treat present human effort and discipline as the precious means for meaningful spiritual growth.

Vishishtadvaita: Varied conditions across the Lord’s cosmos reflect purposeful governance; human agency (puruṣakāra) operates within divine order, supporting disciplined bhakti as the chosen path in Bhārata.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Kiṃpuruṣa (varṣa/region)

FAQs

What is the significance of the eight varṣas beginning with Kiṃpuruṣa in the Vishnu Purana?

They illustrate sacred geography where the conditions of life differ by region—here, attainment and well-being arise naturally, showing a divinely ordered cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain effortless ‘siddhi’ in this verse?

He states that in these varṣas accomplishment is svābhāvikī—innate—so happiness and fulfilment occur ayatnataḥ, without the strain typically associated with human striving.

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

Even when not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology assumes Vishnu as the supreme governor of order—distributing realms and their dharmic conditions so that experience aligns with cosmic law.