Shloka 10

मेरु-प्रमाणम्, सप्त-पाताल-वर्णनम्, तथा अनन्त-शेष-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

वनानि नद्यो रम्याणि सरांसि कमलाकराः पुंस्कोकिलाभिलापाश् च मनोज्ञान्य् अम्बराणि च

Transliteration

vanāni nadyo ramyāṇi sarāṃsi kamalākarāḥ puṃskokilābhilāpāś ca manojñāny ambarāṇi ca

Translation

There were lovely forests and rivers, lakes that were treasure-houses of lotuses, the enchanting calls of male cuckoos, and skies that delighted the mind.

Word by Word

• वनानि: forests
• वनानि: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• रम्याणि: beautiful, delightful
• रम्याणि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vanāni/sarāṃsi/ambarāṇi)

• सरांसि: lakes
• सरांसि: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• कमलाकराः: lotus-beds / repositories of lotuses
• कमलाकराः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमल (प्रातिपदिक) + आकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कमलानाम् आकराः)

• पुंस्कोकिलाभिलापाः: calls of male cuckoos
• पुंस्कोकिलाभिलापाः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक) + कोकिल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुंस्कोकिलानाम् अभिलापाः)

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मनोज्ञानि: pleasing to the mind
• मनोज्ञानि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मनोज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ambarāṇi etc.)

• अम्बराणि: garments
• अम्बराणि: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Features and pleasures of the netherworlds (Pātāla)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: descriptive, authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

FAQs

What is the significance of nature descriptions in the Vishnu Purana?

They present the world as an ordered, dharma-aligned realm—beauty and harmony in forests, rivers, and skies reflect the stability of creation upheld by the Supreme Lord.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the world’s order in this passage?

By cataloging harmonious features—lotus-filled lakes, pleasing birdsong, and delightful skies—he frames the Earth as structured and intelligible, not random, consistent with Purāṇic cosmic governance.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purāṇa’s worldview implies that such beauty and coherence in creation are dependent on Vishnu as the sustaining Supreme Reality.