Shloka 41

प्रियव्रतवंशवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीपविभागः, जम्बूद्वीप-वर्षविभागः, भरत-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

तेषां वंशप्रसूतैस् तु भुक्तेयं भारती पुरा कृतत्रेतादिसर्गेण युगाख्या ह्य् एकसप्ततिः

Transliteration

teṣāṃ vaṃśaprasūtais tu bhukteyaṃ bhāratī purā kṛtatretādisargeṇa yugākhyā hy ekasaptatiḥ

Translation

In former times this land of Bhāratī was enjoyed—ruled and inhabited—by those born of their lineages; and through the successive unfoldings of the Kṛta, Tretā, and the other ages, the yugas are indeed declared to be seventy-one in count.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वंश: lineage, dynasty
• वंश: Sambandha (Determinant in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• प्रसूतैः: by the descendants
• प्रसूतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसूत (प्रातिपदिक; √सू-प्र + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘वंशप्रसूत’ इति समासान्त पद

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle)

• भुक्ता: was enjoyed/ruled
• भुक्ता: Kriyā (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भारती: Bhāratī (the land of Bhārata)
• भारती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times
• पुरा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• कृत: made, done
• कृत: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier in compound/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + क्त)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; विशेषणार्थ

• त्रेता: Tretā (age)
• त्रेता: Sambandha (Determinant in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; युगनाम; समासपूर्वपद

• आदि: and others, etc.
• आदि: Sambandha (Etc.-marker/आद्यार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयार्थ ‘etc.’)

• सर्गेण: by the creation/emanation
• सर्गेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• युग: age, yuga
• युग: Sambandha (Determinant in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• आख्याः: named, called
• आख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis/causal)

• एक: one
• एक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण; समासपूर्वपद

• सप्ततिः: seventy
• सप्ततिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्याशब्द

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How Bhārata was ruled through lineages and how yuga-cycles are reckoned within a Manvantara

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Yuga: Satya

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas (regions)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Royal history is situated within repeating yuga sequences, and the canonical reckoning of seventy-one caturyugas marks the rhythm of a Manvantara.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Hold personal and political history in perspective against long cycles; practice steadiness and dharma without being intoxicated by transient power.

Vishishtadvaita: Time-cycles function within the Lord’s ordered governance; worldly rule is meaningful when aligned to dharma within that divine order.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (Bhāratavarṣa)
• Yugas (Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, Kali)
• Dynastic lineages (vaṃśa)

FAQs

What is the significance of the yuga count (seventy-one) mentioned in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse points to a formal reckoning of time by yugas—successive age-cycles—summarized here as a count of seventy-one, emphasizing that cosmic time is ordered and measurable rather than random.

How does Sage Parāśara connect dynasties with the unfolding of the ages?

He frames history as lineage-driven: Bhārata is ‘enjoyed’ (ruled) by descendants of dynasties, while the same stage persists through changing yugas, linking genealogy to cyclical time.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Even when not named explicitly, the Vishnu Purana treats yuga-order and legitimate sovereignty as expressions of a higher cosmic regulation—ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the supreme sustaining reality.