Shloka 13

भू-मण्डलसंक्षेपवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीप-सप्तसमुद्राः, मेरु-मानम्, गङ्गावतरणम्, देववन-सरोवर-लोकपालपुर्यः

Devanagari script

भारतं प्रथमं वर्षं ततः किंपुरुषं स्मृतम् हरिवर्षं तथैवान्यन् मेरोर् दक्षिणतो द्विज

Transliteration

bhārataṃ prathamaṃ varṣaṃ tataḥ kiṃpuruṣaṃ smṛtam harivarṣaṃ tathaivānyan meror dakṣiṇato dvija

Translation

O twice-born sage, south of Mount Meru the first land is known as Bhārata; next is remembered as Kiṁpuruṣa; and then Hari-varṣa—thus are the realms to the south of Meru enumerated.

Word by Word

• भारतं: Bhārata (region)
• भारतं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नाम (a-stem)

• प्रथमं: first
• प्रथमं: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (agrees with वर्षम्)

• वर्षं: region/continent (varṣa)
• वर्षं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—क्रमवाचक/अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereafter)

• किंपुरुषं: Kiṃpuruṣa (region)
• किंपुरुषं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंपुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (किं + पुरुष)

• स्मृतम्: is called/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘is called/remembered’

• हरिवर्षं: Harivarṣa (region)
• हरिवर्षं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हरि-सम्बन्धि वर्ष)

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Sambandha/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (thus/likewise)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात—अवधारणार्थक (indeed/just)

• अन्यत्: another
• अन्यत्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (another [varṣa])

• मेरोः: of Meru
• मेरोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• दक्षिणतः: to the south (of)
• दक्षिणतः: Adhikarana/Deshadhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दक्षिणतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिक्/देशवाचक (from/to the south of)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography and the arrangement of varṣas around Meru in Jambūdvīpa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas (regions)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The world is not random but structured in divinely ordered regions (varṣas) oriented around Meru.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate one’s own life as situated within an ordered cosmos and align action with dharma appropriate to one’s station (karmabhūmi).

Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order is meaningful because the universe is a real, governed body of the Lord (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva implicit in niyati/ordinance).

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Meru
• Bhārata-varṣa
• Kiṁpuruṣa-varṣa
• Hari-varṣa
• Vishnu (Hari)

FAQs

What is the significance of Bhārata-varṣa in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse identifies Bhārata as the foremost varṣa south of Meru, marking it as a primary human realm within Purāṇic sacred geography.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cosmic layout around Mount Meru?

He lists the named varṣas in relation to Meru’s directionality—here, specifically the regions to the south—showing an ordered, map-like cosmology.

What is the theological importance of Hari-varṣa in this context?

By naming a region as Hari-varṣa, the text subtly frames the cosmos as belonging to and governed by Hari (Vishnu), reinforcing divine sovereignty within cosmological description.