Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एते द्वीपाः समुद्रैस् तु सप्त सप्तभिर् आवृताः लवणेक्षुसुरासर्पिर्दधिदुग्धजलैः समम्

Transliteration

ete dvīpāḥ samudrais tu sapta saptabhir āvṛtāḥ lavaṇekṣusurāsarpirdadhidugdhajalaiḥ samam

Translation

These continents (dvīpas) are each encircled by seven oceans—seven in number—whose waters are respectively of salt, sugarcane-juice, wine, clarified butter, curds, milk, and pure water, all arranged in due order.

Word by Word

• ete: these
• ete: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संकेत-विशेषण

• dvīpāḥ: islands
• dvīpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• samudraiḥ: by oceans
• samudraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (by oceans)

• tu: indeed; but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनुवादबोधक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/अविकारी संख्याविशेषण; ‘सप्तभिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• saptabhiḥ: with seven (in number)
• saptabhiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण; ‘समुद्रैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• āvṛtāḥ: surrounded; enclosed
• āvṛtāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘द्वीपाः’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

• lavaṇa: salt
• lavaṇa: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lavaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (salt)

• ikṣu: sugarcane (juice)
• ikṣu: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ikṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (sugarcane)

• surā: wine; liquor
• surā: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (liquor)

• sarpiḥ: ghee
• sarpiḥ: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpiṣ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (ghee)

• dadhi: curd; yogurt
• dadhi: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (curd)

• dugdha: milk
• dugdha: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dugdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (milk)

• jalaiḥ: with waters (seas)
• jalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण; पूर्वपदानि (lavaṇa-ikṣu-surā-sarpi-dadhi-dugdha) इत्यैः विशेषितम्

• samam: equally; correspondingly
• samam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable usage): ‘समम्’ = equally/in the same manner

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Description of the seven encircling oceans corresponding to the dvīpas

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: precise, systematic

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The world-system is arranged in orderly concentric bands, with each dvīpa bounded by a distinct ocean of specific substance.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Use the image of concentric oceans as a meditation on layers of experience—sense, mind, intellect—each to be crossed by discipline.

Vishishtadvaita: Multiplicity of substances and regions is real yet coordinated—an expression of the Lord’s ordered śakti rather than illusionary chaos.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Sapta-dvīpa
• Sapta-samudra

FAQs

What is the significance of the seven oceans in the Vishnu Purana?

They express a divinely ordered cosmos: each dvīpa is systematically enclosed by a distinct ocean, showing the structured sovereignty of the universe as taught in the Bhuvana-kośa section.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the world’s arrangement to Maitreya here?

Parāśara presents a sequential, layered geography—dvīpas surrounded by seven specific oceans—framing the world as an intelligible, rule-governed creation rather than a random expanse.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology functions as a map of His governance: the ordered world-system points to a supreme, sustaining Reality behind creation and its laws.