Shloka 49

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

Devanagari script

भद्राश्वे भगवान् विष्णुर् आस्ते हयशिरा द्विज वराहः केतुमाले तु भारते कूर्मरूपधृक्

Transliteration

bhadrāśve bhagavān viṣṇur āste hayaśirā dvija varāhaḥ ketumāle tu bhārate kūrmarūpadhṛk

Translation

In Bhadrāśva the Blessed Lord Viṣṇu abides as Hayśiras; in Ketu-māla He is manifest as Varāha, the Boar; and in Bhārata, O twice-born, He upholds the form of Kūrma, the Tortoise.

Word by Word

• भद्राश्वे: in Bhadrāśva (varṣa/region)
• भद्राश्वे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्राश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; देश/वर्ष-नाम

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• आस्ते: abides/dwells
• आस्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• हयशिराः: Hayashiras (horse-headed form)
• हयशिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय-शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक; हय + शिरस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हयस्य शिरः यस्य/हयशिराः)

• द्विज: O twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (8th/Vocative), एकवचनम्

• वराहः: Varāha (boar form)
• वराहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्

• केतुमाले: in Ketumāla (varṣa/region)
• केतुमाले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतुमाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; देश/वर्ष-नाम

• तु: and/but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः/समुच्चय-भेदकः (particle: but/indeed)

• भारते: in Bhārata (India)
• भारते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (7th/Locative), एकवचनम्; देश/वर्ष-नाम

• कूर्मरूपधृक्: the bearer of the tortoise-form (Kūrma)
• कूर्मरूपधृक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म-रूप-धृक् (प्रातिपदिक; कूर्म + रूप + धृक्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कूर्मस्य रूपं धत्ते इति)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya; verse includes a vocative ‘dvija’ as a respectful address within the narration)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography and the Lord’s abiding forms in the varṣas of Jambūdvīpa.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas (regions)

Avatara Context

Avatara: Kurma

Purpose: He assumes region-specific forms to uphold and stabilize cosmic order and the world within Jambūdvīpa.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Stability and protection of the world-regions through the Lord’s sustaining presence.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Viṣṇu is not distant from the world but abides within its very regions, sustaining them through appropriate manifestations.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate the Lord’s presence in one’s own ‘region’ of life—place, duty, and community—cultivating reverence and steadiness.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s transcendence is consistent with His real, sustaining presence within the cosmos (śeṣa-śeṣi relation).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Hayashiras (Hayaśiras)
• Varaha (Varāha)
• Kurma (Kūrma)
• Bhadrashva (Bhadrāśva)
• Ketumala (Ketu-māla)
• Bharata-varsha (Bhārata)

FAQs

What is the significance of Vishnu appearing in different varṣas (regions) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse frames sacred geography as the Lord’s sovereignty over the whole cosmos: different regions are sustained by Viṣṇu through distinct forms, showing one Supreme Reality expressed through many manifestations.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s presence in Bhārata in this passage?

Parāśara states that in Bhārata-varṣa Viṣṇu ‘bears the Tortoise-form’ (Kūrma-rūpa-dhṛk), emphasizing the Lord as the cosmic supporter who upholds stability and dharma in the human realm.

What is the theological importance of these avatāras (Hayśiras, Varāha, Kūrma) here?

They present avatāra not merely as mythic episodes but as ongoing modes of divine governance—Viṣṇu remains the Supreme Lord who sustains, restores, and stabilizes the worlds through purposeful forms.