Shloka 54
भू-मण्डलसंक्षेपवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीप-सप्तसमुद्राः, मेरु-मानम्, गङ्गावतरणम्, देववन-सरोवर-लोकपालपुर्यः
न तेषु वर्षते देवो भौमान्य् अम्भांसि तेषु वै कृतत्रेतादिका नैव तेषु स्थानेषु कल्पना
na teṣu varṣate devo bhaumāny ambhāṃsi teṣu vai kṛtatretādikā naiva teṣu sthāneṣu kalpanā
In those realms the rain-god does not pour down, and no earthly waters exist there at all. In such regions there is no conception of the ages—Kṛta, Tretā, and the rest—for the very conditions by which time is measured are not established in those places.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Description of the varṣas and their differing conditions of time, climate, and measurement
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: authoritative
Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas (regions)
Concept: Where the causal conditions for measuring time (seasonal rain, terrestrial waters, cyclical change) are absent, yuga-divisions are not meaningfully conceived.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Use time wisely in the human realm: practice dharma and devotion now, rather than relying on imagined timeless conditions.
Vishishtadvaita: Time and order are real modes within Viṣṇu’s governed cosmos; their presence/absence varies by loka while remaining under the Lord’s sovereignty.
Bhakti Type: Shanta
FAQs
It marks a realm that does not operate under ordinary terrestrial conditions, indicating a different cosmic order where familiar physical processes (like rainfall and rivers) do not apply.
He implies that yuga-divisions are meaningful where worldly conditions allow time to be measured through change and decay; in these regions such a framework is not established.
By showing that even time-structures like the Yugas depend on cosmic arrangement, the passage supports the Purāṇic vision of a higher sovereignty governing the universe—ultimately grounded in Vishnu as the supreme ordering principle.