Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

नागद्वीपस् तथा सौम्यो गान्धर्वस् त्व् अथ वारुणः अयं तु नवमस् तेषां द्वीपः सागरसंवृतः

Transliteration

nāgadvīpas tathā saumyo gāndharvas tv atha vāruṇaḥ ayaṃ tu navamas teṣāṃ dvīpaḥ sāgarasaṃvṛtaḥ

Translation

(They are) Nāgadvīpa, and likewise Saumya, Gāndharva, and then Vāruṇa. This, indeed, is the ninth among those dvīpas—an expanse encircled by the ocean.

Word by Word

• नागद्वीपः: Nāga-dvīpa
• नागद्वीपः: Karma (Apposition/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नागानां द्वीपः)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), 'likewise/also'

• सौम्यः: Saumya
• सौम्यः: Karma (Apposition/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नाम)

• गान्धर्वः: Gāndharva
• गान्धर्वः: Karma (Apposition/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नाम)

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)

• अथ: then; next
• अथ: Sambandha (Sequencer)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थ (then/next)

• वारुणः: Vāruṇa
• वारुणः: Karma (Apposition/list item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नाम)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विशेषार्थ (indeed)

• नवमः: ninth
• नवमः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• द्वीपः: island; division
• द्वीपः: Karta/Pratijna (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सागरसंवृतः: surrounded by the ocean
• सागरसंवृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर + संवृत (√वृ + सम् उपसर्ग; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (सागरेण/सागरैः संवृतः = surrounded by ocean)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Completion of the nine divisions of Bhārata-varṣa and its ocean-girt nature.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Nāgadvīpa
• Saumya
• Gāndharva
• Vāruṇa
• Ocean (Sāgara)

FAQs

What is the significance of the dvīpas (island-continents) in the Vishnu Purana?

They present a structured vision of the universe—ordered regions bounded by oceans—showing the cosmos as an intelligible, governed system rather than a random expanse.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cosmic arrangement in this chapter?

Parāśara enumerates named dvīpas and describes them as ocean-encircled divisions, offering Maitreya a step-by-step cosmographic map within the Purāṇic worldview.

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

Even in geographic description, the underlying message is that cosmic order is sustained by a supreme governing reality—Vishnu—whose sovereignty makes the universe coherent and law-bound.