Shloka 58

सप्तद्वीप-समुद्र-प्रमाणम्: प्लक्षादि-द्वीपवर्णनं, लोकालोक-सीमा, चन्द्र-समुद्र-वृद्धिक्षयः

Devanagari script

दधिमण्डोदकश् चापि शाकद्वीपेन संवृतः क्रौञ्चद्वीपस्य विस्ताराद् द्विगुणेन महामुने

Transliteration

dadhimaṇḍodakaś cāpi śākadvīpena saṃvṛtaḥ krauñcadvīpasya vistārād dviguṇena mahāmune

Translation

O great sage, the ocean of dadhimaṇḍa-water is likewise encircled by Śākadvīpa, whose breadth is twice the extent of Krauñca-dvīpa.

Word by Word

• दधिमण्डोदकः: the whey-water ocean
• दधिमण्डोदकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि + मण्ड + उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दधिमण्डस्य उदकः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — conjunction ‘and’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — particle ‘also’

• शाकद्वीपेन: by Śāka-dvīpa
• शाकद्वीपेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शाक-नामकः द्वीपः)

• संवृतः: enclosed/surrounded
• संवृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रौञ्चद्वीपस्य: of Krauñca-dvīpa
• क्रौञ्चद्वीपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौञ्च + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष

• विस्तारात्: than the extent
• विस्तारात्: Apadana (Source/Comparison base/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन — Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• द्विगुणेन: by double (twice)
• द्विगुणेन: Karana (Measure/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular; समासः—द्विगु (द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणः)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् मुनिः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Relative dimensions of dvīpas and oceans in Bhū-maṇḍala

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Purāṇa teaches a patterned proportionality (dviguṇa-vistāra) in cosmic layout, suggesting a lawful, intelligible universe.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Meditate on proportional order and interdependence: let ‘dviguṇa’ scaling symbolize expanding responsibility and perspective beyond the self.

Vishishtadvaita: Order and measure are expressions of the Lord’s governance of His cosmic body, harmonizing multiplicity within unity.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Śākadvīpa
• Kraunca-dvīpa
• Dadhimaṇḍodaka (curd-whey ocean)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Dadhimaṇḍodaka (curd-whey) ocean in the Vishnu Purana?

It is one of the successive cosmic oceans that surround the dvīpas, expressing an ordered cosmography where creation is arranged in concentric, measurable layers.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the expansion of the dvīpas in this section?

He states a proportional rule of increase: Śākadvīpa’s breadth is described as double the extent of Kraunca-dvīpa, illustrating the systematic doubling pattern in the dvīpa scheme.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even in geographic description, the Purana frames the cosmos as an intelligible, law-governed order—ultimately upheld by Vishnu as the sovereign ground of reality and cosmic stability.