Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

पातालानाम् अधश् चास्ते विष्णोर् या तामसी तनुः शेषाख्या यद्गुणान् वक्तुं न शक्ता दैत्यदानवाः

Transliteration

pātālānām adhaś cāste viṣṇor yā tāmasī tanuḥ śeṣākhyā yadguṇān vaktuṃ na śaktā daityadānavāḥ

Translation

Beneath the regions of Pātāla abides that Tamas-clad manifestation of Lord Viṣṇu—known as Śeṣa—whose attributes and excellences even the Daityas and Dānavas are powerless to describe.

Word by Word

• पातालानाम्: of the Pātālas (nether regions)
• पातालानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अधः: below
• अधः: अधिकरण (Locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb: below)

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

• आस्ते: dwells, exists
• आस्ते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• या: which
• या: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तामसी: dark, tamasic
• तामसी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying tanuḥ)

• तनुः: body, form
• तनुः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शेषाख्या: named ‘Śeṣa’
• शेषाख्या: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (शेष इति आख्या यस्याः सा)

• यत्: whose
• यत्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (referring to guṇān)

• गुणान्: qualities
• गुणान्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• वक्तुम्: to speak
• वक्तुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययवत्; प्रयोजन (to speak)

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• शक्ताः: able
• शक्ताः: कर्तृसम्बन्ध (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (कृदन्त, √शक्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• दैत्यदानवाः: Daityas and Dānavas
• दैत्यदानवाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: What lies beneath Pātāla; the ontological ground of the worlds

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: reverential, revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The cosmic base is not inert matter but a divine manifestation—Śeṣa—whose greatness surpasses even asuric description, indicating Viṣṇu as the ground of all realms.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Contemplate the world’s stability as dependent on the Lord; cultivate humility before the ineffable and shift trust from sensory supports to divine support.

Vishishtadvaita: Viṣṇu is both transcendent and the immanent support (ādhāra) of the cosmos through divine manifestations like Śeṣa—unity with real plurality upheld in Him.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Shesha
• Patala
• Daityas
• Danavas

FAQs

What is the significance of Śeṣa in the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology?

This verse presents Śeṣa as a form of Viṣṇu dwelling beneath the Pātālas, emphasizing Śeṣa’s cosmic role and the divine foundation underlying the lower worlds.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the limits of describing the Divine?

By stating that even powerful beings like the Daityas and Dānavas cannot express Śeṣa’s qualities, Parāśara underscores the immeasurable nature of Viṣṇu’s attributes.

What is the theological importance of Lord Viṣṇu here?

Viṣṇu is shown as the Supreme Reality who manifests in forms suited to cosmic functions; Śeṣa is one such manifestation, whose greatness remains beyond complete articulation.