Shloka 89

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

Devanagari script

स्थालीस्थम् अग्निसंयोगाद् उद्रेकि सलिलं यथा तथेन्दुवृद्धौ सलिलम् अम्भोधौ मुनिसत्तम

Transliteration

sthālīstham agnisaṃyogād udreki salilaṃ yathā tathenduvṛddhau salilam ambhodhau munisattama

Translation

O best of sages, just as water in a vessel swells when it comes into contact with fire, so too, when the Moon waxes, the waters in the ocean rise and increase.

Word by Word

• स्थाली-स्थम्: situated in a pot
• स्थाली-स्थम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थाली (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्थाल्याम् स्थम् = situated in a pot); अत्र ‘सलिलम्’ विशेषणम्

• अग्नि-संयोगात्: from contact with fire
• अग्नि-संयोगात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + संयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अग्निना संयोगः)

• उद्रेकि: swells/increases
• उद्रेकि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√रिच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—शतृ/शानच्-प्रायः अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अत्र क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण ‘उद्रेकि’ = ‘उद्रिच्यते/उद्रेकं गच्छति’ (increases)

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (कर्ता)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Avyaya (Comparative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—उपमानवाचक (as/just as)

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Avyaya (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—तुल्यवाचक (so/likewise)

• इन्दु-वृद्धौ: at the waxing of the moon
• इन्दु-वृद्धौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्दोः वृद्धि = increase of the moon)

• सलिलम्: water
• सलिलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (कर्ता)

• अम्भोधौ: in the ocean
• अम्भोधौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भोधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मुनि-सत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनि-सत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मुनिषु सत्तमः)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Mechanism of tides and periodic oceanic increase

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: explanatory (analogy-driven)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Observable natural rhythms (tides) arise from lawful correspondences between celestial and terrestrial domains.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Align practice with rhythms (daily discipline, lunar observances) while remembering the deeper steadiness beneath change.

Vishishtadvaita: Interconnected causality across realms supports a governed cosmos, consistent with Īśvara’s immanent regulation of nature.

Characters & Entities

• Moon (Indu/Chandra)
• Ocean (Ambhodhi)
• Maitreya
• Sage Parāśara

FAQs

What is the significance of the Moon’s waxing in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse links the Moon’s increase with the rising of oceanic waters, presenting lunar phases as part of an ordered cosmic system rather than random change.

How does Sage Parāśara explain natural increase and decrease in the world?

He uses a simple analogy—water swelling in a heated vessel—to show that observable natural effects have intelligible causes within the cosmos’ regulated design.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the teaching assumes a universe governed by a supreme ordering principle—classically understood in the Purana as Vishnu’s sustaining sovereignty over cosmic rhythms.