Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

विष्णुपादविनिष्क्रान्ता प्लावयित्वेन्दुमण्डलम् समन्ताद् ब्रह्मणः पुर्यां गङ्गा पतति वै दिवः

Transliteration

viṣṇupādaviniṣkrāntā plāvayitvendumaṇḍalam samantād brahmaṇaḥ puryāṃ gaṅgā patati vai divaḥ

Translation

Born from the stride of Viṣṇu’s sacred foot, the Gaṅgā—after flooding the sphere of the Moon on every side—then truly descends from heaven, falling all around into Brahmā’s celestial city.

Word by Word

• विष्णुपादविनिष्क्रान्ता: having issued forth from Viṣṇu’s foot
• विष्णुपादविनिष्क्रान्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + पाद + वि + नि + √क्रम् (धातु) → विनिष्क्रान्त (कृदन्त); समास
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः पादात् विनिष्क्रान्ता) विशेषण (गङ्गा)

• प्लावयित्वा: having flooded
• प्लावयित्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √प्लु (धातु) → प्लावयित्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• इन्दुमण्डलम्: the orb of the moon
• इन्दुमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (इन्दोः मण्डलम्)

• समन्तात्: all around/entirely
• समन्तात्: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/परितः-अर्थक (from all around/entirely)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पुर्याम्: in the city
• पुर्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गङ्गा: Gaṅgā
• गङ्गा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पतति: falls/descends
• पतति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Emphasis (निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/पादपूरक (indeed)

• दिवः: from heaven
• दिवः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Origin and descent-route of Gaṅgā from Viṣṇu’s foot via lunar sphere to Brahmā’s city

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Vamana

Purpose: Vişṇu’s Trivikrama stride sanctifies the cosmos, from whose foot the heavenly Gaṅgā issues and descends for the purification of worlds.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Restoration of divine order and rightful cosmic sovereignty across the three worlds

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: What purifies is ultimately contact with the Lord—Gaṅgā is holy because she is ‘Viṣṇu’s water,’ carrying His sanctifying presence into the worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Approach sacred rivers, worship, and daily tīrtha-like practices (ācamanam, nāma-smaraṇa) with the understanding that holiness is rooted in God’s presence, not mere materiality.

Vishishtadvaita: The world’s sanctifiers (like Gaṅgā) are channels of the Lord’s grace within prakṛti—supporting a theology where matter can be divinized by His contact.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ganga
• Brahma
• Moon (Indu/Chandra)

FAQs

What is the significance of Gaṅgā emerging from Viṣṇu’s foot in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames Gaṅgā as a sanctifying power whose origin is directly tied to Viṣṇu’s supreme, world-transcending stride—making her descent a theological sign of divine grace entering the cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the route of Gaṅgā’s descent through the cosmos?

Parāśara describes a cosmographic pathway: Gaṅgā first inundates the lunar sphere and then descends from the heavenly realm into Brahmā’s city (Brahmaloka), situating her flow within the layered structure of worlds.

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

Viṣṇu is presented as the ultimate source from whom even the most sacred cosmic river proceeds, reinforcing his sovereignty over cosmic order and the channels through which purity and dharma flow into creation.