Shloka 2

Devanagari script

जम्बूद्वीपस्य विस्तारः शतसाहस्रसंमितः स एवं द्विगुणो ब्रह्मन् प्लक्षद्वीप उदाहृतः

Transliteration

jambūdvīpasya vistāraḥ śatasāhasrasaṃmitaḥ sa evaṃ dviguṇo brahman plakṣadvīpa udāhṛtaḥ

Translation

The breadth of Jambūdvīpa is declared to be a hundred thousand yojanas; and, O Brāhmaṇa, Plakṣadvīpa is taught to be exactly twice that measure.

Word by Word

• जम्बूद्वीपस्य: of Jambūdvīpa
• जम्बूद्वीपस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive/possessive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जम्बू + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; जम्बू-नामकस्य द्वीपस्य इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; Genitive singular

• विस्तारः: extent
• विस्तारः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• शतसाहस्रसंमितः: measured as a hundred thousand
• शतसाहस्रसंमितः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत + साहस्र + संमित (प्रातिपदिक; √मा + सम् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शतसाहस्रेण संमितः इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; PPP ‘measured’; agrees with विस्तारः

• सः: it/that (one)
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Pronoun; Nominative singular

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: ‘thus/in this manner’)

• द्विगुणः: double (in size)
• द्विगुणः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणः इति (संख्यापूर्वक-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः); agrees with (प्लक्षद्वीपः) understood

• ब्रह्मन्: O Brahman (sage)
• ब्रह्मन्: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative singular (address)

• प्लक्षद्वीपः: Plakṣadvīpa
• प्लक्षद्वीपः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लक्ष + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• उदाहृतः: is stated/declared
• उदाहृतः: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-√हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; PPP used predicatively: ‘is said/declared’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Measurements of Jambūdvīpa and proportional expansion to Plakṣadvīpa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: precise

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Cosmic geography is described through proportional measures, conveying an ordered and intelligible universe.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use the idea of proportion and order as a meditative aid to cultivate disciplined thinking and steadiness in practice.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos has determinate structure as an expression of the Lord’s will; orderliness reflects divine immanence in the world-system.

Characters & Entities

• Jambūdvīpa
• Plakṣadvīpa

FAQs

What is the significance of Jambūdvīpa’s measurement in the Vishnu Purana?

It anchors the Purāṇic world-map with a stated scale, presenting cosmic geography as an ordered, intelligible system rather than a random expanse.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between Jambūdvīpa and Plakṣadvīpa?

He gives a proportional rule: Plakṣadvīpa’s extent is explicitly twice that of Jambūdvīpa, establishing a patterned progression among the dvīpas.

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

Even when Viṣṇu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇa frames such cosmic order and measure as part of the Supreme Lord’s sustaining governance of the universe.