Shloka 27

भारतवर्षमहात्म्यम् — कर्मभूमित्वम्, नवभेदाः, कुलपर्वताः-नद्यः-जनपदाः, युगचक्रविशेषः, यज्ञपुरुषविष्णुपूजा

Devanagari script

नववर्षं तु मैत्रेय जम्बूद्वीपम् इदं मया लक्षयोजनविस्तारं संक्षेपात् कथितं तव

Transliteration

navavarṣaṃ tu maitreya jambūdvīpam idaṃ mayā lakṣayojanavistāraṃ saṃkṣepāt kathitaṃ tava

Translation

Thus, O Maitreya, have I briefly described to you this Jambūdvīpa—divided into nine regions (varṣas)—whose breadth extends for a hundred thousand yojanas.

Word by Word

• नववर्षम्: the nine-varṣa (nine regions/years)
• नववर्षम्: Karma (Object of kathitam/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नव-वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular); समासः द्विगु (नव संख्या + वर्ष)

• तु: and/indeed
• तु: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• जम्बूद्वीपम्: Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बूद्वीपम्: Karma (Object/apposition to navavarṣam/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बू-द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (जम्बूनामकः द्वीपः)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Appositional/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana/Karta (Agent-instrument/करण-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• लक्षयोजनविस्तारम्: having an extent of a hundred-thousand yojanas
• लक्षयोजनविस्तारम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष-योजन-विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (singular); समासः तत्पुरुषः (लक्षयोजनः विस्तारः)

• संक्षेपात्: briefly/in summary
• संक्षेपात्: Hetu/Mode (in brief/from brevity/हेतु-प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (singular)

• कथितम्: has been described/told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; here predicate participle with implied 'अस्ति'

• तव: to you/for you
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Description of Jambūdvīpa and its nine varṣas with measurements

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas (continents)

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• Jambudvipa
• Nine Varshas (Navavarsha)

FAQs

What is the significance of the nine varshas (navavarsha) in the Vishnu Purana?

They present Jambūdvīpa as an ordered sacred geography divided into nine regions, framing the world as a structured domain governed by cosmic law.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Jambūdvīpa to Maitreya here?

He concludes a concise account, stating that he has summarized Jambūdvīpa’s ninefold division and its vast extent measured as a hundred thousand yojanas.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when not named in the verse, the cosmographic order being taught is traditionally grounded in Vishnu as the Supreme Reality whose will and power sustain the world’s intelligible structure.