Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

रम्यकं चोत्तरं वर्षं तस्यैवानु हिरण्मयम् उत्तराः कुरवश् चैव यथा वै भारतं तथा

Transliteration

ramyakaṃ cottaraṃ varṣaṃ tasyaivānu hiraṇmayam uttarāḥ kuravaś caiva yathā vai bhārataṃ tathā

Translation

Beyond that, to the north, lies the delightful realm called Ramyaka; and beyond it again is Hiraṇmaya. There too are the Northern Kurus—ordered in a manner akin to Bhārata itself.

Word by Word

• रम्यकं: Ramyaka (region)
• रम्यकं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

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

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

• तस्य: of that/of it
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• अनु: after/following
• अनु: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्ग/अव्यय—अनुक्रम/अनुगमनार्थक (after/following)

• हिरण्मयम्: Hiraṇmaya (region)/the golden (one)
• हिरण्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नाम/विशेषण-रूपेण (golden)

• उत्तराः: northern
• उत्तराः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (agrees with कुरवः)

• कुरवः: the Kurus
• कुरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (and)

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

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Adverbial/Comparative (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (as/just as)

• वै: indeed/verily
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात—खलु/नूनम्-अर्थक (indeed/verily)

• भारतं: Bhārata (region)
• भारतं: Upamana/Reference (उपमान/निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तथैव-अर्थक (so/likewise)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Northern varṣas and their ordered correspondence to Bhārata

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas (regions)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The northern realms (Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya, Uttara-Kuru) mirror the ordered pattern found in Bhārata, indicating a coherent cosmic design.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use the idea of ‘ordered correspondence’ to cultivate inner discipline—make one’s conduct consistent across situations, as the cosmos is consistent across regions.

Vishishtadvaita: Order and variety coexist: multiple regions with distinct names yet a shared structure, reflecting unity-in-diversity within the Lord’s real creation.

Characters & Entities

• Parashara
• Maitreya
• Ramyaka
• Hiranyamaya
• Uttara-Kuru
• Bharata-varsha

FAQs

What is the significance of Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya, and Uttara-Kuru in the Vishnu Purana?

They are northern varṣas (major territorial divisions) of Jambūdvīpa, illustrating the Purāṇic vision of a structured world-order where multiple realms exist beyond Bhārata.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic geography to Maitreya here?

He enumerates regions in sequence—‘beyond that… beyond it again’—showing an ordered, layered description of Jambūdvīpa’s varṣas, anchored by comparison to the familiar Bhārata-varṣa.

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

Even when describing lands and peoples, the Purāṇa frames the cosmos as an intelligible order ultimately upheld by Vishnu as the supreme governing reality behind creation’s structure.