Shloka 42

प्रियव्रतवंशवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीपविभागः, जम्बूद्वीप-वर्षविभागः, भरत-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

एष स्वायंभुवः सर्गो येनेदं पूरितं जगत् वाराहे तु मुने कल्पे पूर्वमन्वन्तराधिपः

Transliteration

eṣa svāyaṃbhuvaḥ sargo yenedaṃ pūritaṃ jagat vārāhe tu mune kalpe pūrvamanvantarādhipaḥ

Translation

This is the Svāyambhuva creation—by which this entire world has been filled. But, O sage, in the Varāha Kalpa, the lord who presides over the earlier Manvantara is to be understood as the first among the Manus.

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• स्वायंभुवः: of Svāyambhuva (Manu)
• स्वायंभुवः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वायंभुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्वयम् + भुव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्गः: creation, emanation
• सर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पूरितम्: filled
• पूरितम्: Kriyā (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग

• जगत्: world, universe
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वाराहे: in the Varāha (kalpa)
• वाराहे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (कल्पे)

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

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कल्पे: in the aeon (kalpa)
• कल्पे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/क्रमवाचक)

• मन्वन्तर: Manvantara (period of a Manu)
• मन्वन्तर: Sambandha (Determinant in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्वन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद

• अधिपः: lord, ruler
• अधिपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Identification of Svāyambhuva creation and its placement within the Varāha Kalpa and Manvantara sequence

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Manvantara

Manvantara: Svayambhuva

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: In the Varāha Kalpa, the Lord assumes the Boar form to re-establish the earth and the order of creation at the beginning of the cosmic cycle.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Stability of the earth and the continuity of cosmic order (sṛṣṭi-krama)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The text anchors creation-history in a specific kalpa (Varāha) and identifies the Svāyambhuva Manvantara as the first administrative cycle of Manu within that cosmic day.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Study one’s life as occurring within larger divine rhythms; cultivate humility and steadiness by remembering the vastness of kāla.

Vishishtadvaita: Jagat is real and ordered as the Lord’s purposeful manifestation; kalpa/manvantara structure expresses His immanent governance over a structured cosmos.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Varāha Kalpa

FAQs

What is the significance of the Svāyambhuva Sarga in the Vishnu Purana?

It identifies the specific creation cycle associated with Svāyambhuva Manu, presenting how the world becomes populated and ordered within a defined cosmic administration.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Manvantara framework here?

He situates the narrative inside a Kalpa (here, the Varāha Kalpa) and points to the presiding authority of an earlier/first Manvantara, showing that creation accounts are indexed by Manu-periods.

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

Even when the verse speaks in terms of Kalpa and Manu governance, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology assumes these cycles unfold under Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty as the ground and regulator of cosmic order.