Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

जठरो देवकूटश् च मर्यादापर्वताव् उभौ तौ दक्षिणोत्तरायामाव् आनीलनिषधायतौ

Transliteration

jaṭharo devakūṭaś ca maryādāparvatāv ubhau tau dakṣiṇottarāyāmāv ānīlaniṣadhāyatau

Translation

‘Jathara’ and ‘Devakūṭa’ are the two boundary mountains; they run south to north, from Ānīla to Niṣadha, thereby marking the ordained limits.

Word by Word

• जठरः: Jaṭhara (a mountain)
• जठरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवकूटः: Devakūṭa (a mountain)
• देवकूटः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवकूट (प्रातिपदिक: देव + कूट)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (देवानां कूटः/देवकूटः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• मर्यादा: boundary
• मर्यादा: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• पर्वतौ: two mountains
• पर्वतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); विशेषणम् (adjective)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• दक्षिण: southern
• दक्षिण: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• उत्तर: northern
• उत्तर: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• आयामौ: (having) extent/length (twofold)
• आयामौ: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual)

• आ: towards/fully (prefix)
• आ: Sambandha (Preverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb)

• नील: Nīla (mountain)
• नील: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• निषध: Niṣadha (mountain)
• निषध: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); (समासपूर्वपदत्वेन)

• आयतौ: extended/reaching
• आयतौ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); विशेषणम् (adjective: 'extended')

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Specification of maryādā-parvatas (boundary mountains) and their directional extent

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic space is articulated by fixed axes and boundaries (maryādā) that sustain intelligible order.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use the idea of maryādā as a spiritual discipline: healthy limits and directionality support steadiness in practice.

Vishishtadvaita: The ordered cosmos functions as the Lord’s regulated body—structured, purposive, and stable under divine governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Jathara
• Devakūṭa
• Ānīla
• Niṣadha

FAQs

What is the significance of boundary mountains (maryādā-parvatas) in the Vishnu Purana?

They define divinely-ordained limits within Jambudvīpa, expressing that the cosmos is structured by lawful boundaries rather than being random or chaotic.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the layout of the world in this chapter?

He enumerates named ranges and their orientations, using specific mountains and endpoints (like Ānīla and Niṣadha) to map the cosmic geography for Maitreya.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the ordered cosmographic scheme reflects Vishnu’s supremacy as the sustaining intelligence that establishes measure (maryādā) and stability in the universe.