Shloka 91

Devanagari script

दशोत्तराणि पञ्चैव अङ्गुलानां शतानि वै अपां वृद्धिक्षयौ दृष्टौ सामुद्रीणां महामुने

Transliteration

daśottarāṇi pañcaiva aṅgulānāṃ śatāni vai apāṃ vṛddhikṣayau dṛṣṭau sāmudrīṇāṃ mahāmune

Translation

O great sage, the oceanic waters are observed to rise and fall by five hundred and ten aṅgulas—such is their measured increase and decrease.

Word by Word

• दशोत्तराणि: ten more (i.e., plus ten)
• दशोत्तराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक; संख्याविशेषण-समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘दशोत्तर’ = दशाधिक (ten more)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; (सामान्यतः) विशेषणरूपेण प्रयुक्तः

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• अङ्गुलानाम्: of fingers (aṅgulas/inches)
• अङ्गुलानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गुलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma/Prameya (Object/measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वै: indeed/verily
• वै: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/assuring particle)

• अपाम्: of waters
• अपाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन

• वृद्धिक्षयौ: increase and decrease
• वृद्धिक्षयौ: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्वसमासे), प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘वृद्धि’ (increase) + ‘क्षय’ (decrease)

• दृष्टौ: are observed/seen
• दृष्टौ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; (अत्र) ‘दृष्टौ’ = ‘observed/seen’

• सामुद्रीणाम्: of the oceans/sea-waters
• सामुद्रीणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सामुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; ‘सामुद्री’ = समुद्रसम्बन्धिनी

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक; महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Description and measurements of cosmic geography (dvīpas, oceans, and their features).

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even the mighty ocean follows a fixed, intelligible measure of increase and decrease within the Lord-governed order (niyati).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate regularity in nature as a doorway to reverence for cosmic law and disciplined living.

Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order is real and sustained by the Supreme, implying a governed universe dependent on Viṣṇu.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Ocean (Samudra)

FAQs

What is the significance of measuring the ocean’s rise and fall in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents nature as governed by fixed, knowable measures—an expression of cosmic order (ṛta) rather than randomness, reinforcing that the world operates under a higher sustaining principle.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic order through observable phenomena?

He points to directly “observed” (dṛṣṭa) regularities—like the ocean’s increase and decrease—using measurement to show that the universe follows stable laws within the Purāṇic cosmological framework.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇa’s cosmology implies that such consistent regulation of the elements reflects the sustaining supremacy of Vishnu as the ground of universal order.