Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

यो ऽनन्तः पठ्यते सिद्धैर् देवदेवर्षिपूजितः सहस्रशिरसा व्यक्तस्वस्तिकामलभूषणः

Transliteration

yo 'nantaḥ paṭhyate siddhair devadevarṣipūjitaḥ sahasraśirasā vyaktasvastikāmalabhūṣaṇaḥ

Translation

He whom the perfected Siddhas hymn as Ananta—revered by the gods and the god-sages—thousand-headed, manifest in auspicious emblems, adorned with garlands and lotus-like ornaments.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अनन्तः: Ananta (the Infinite)
• अनन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-नाम

• पठ्यते: is recited/read
• पठ्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सिद्धैः: by the Siddhas
• सिद्धैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• देवदेवर्षिपूजितः: worshipped by gods and divine seers
• देवदेवर्षिपूजितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + देवर्षि + पूजित (कृदन्त; पूज्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि विशेषण; समासः—(देवदेवर्षिभिः) पूजितः

• सहस्रशिरसा: with a thousand heads
• सहस्रशिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—सहस्रं शिरांसि यस्य (बहुवचनार्थेऽपि तृतीया-एकवचनरूपम्)

• व्यक्तस्वस्तिकामलभूषणः: adorned with manifest svastika and āmalaka ornaments
• व्यक्तस्वस्तिकामलभूषणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त + स्वस्तिक + आमल + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—व्यक्तानि स्वस्तिक-आमल-भूषणानि यस्य (बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography and the beings supporting the worlds (context of Bhū-maṇḍala description)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Vyuha Form: Sankarshana

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ananta (Endless aspect)
• Siddhas
• Devas
• Devarshis (divine sages)

FAQs

What is the significance of the name Ananta in the Vishnu Purana?

Ananta presents Vishnu as the Infinite—beyond limitation—whom even Siddhas and divine beings recognize as the supreme object of praise and worship.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s cosmic nature here?

By describing Vishnu as “thousand-headed” and universally venerated, Parāśara emphasizes an all-pervading, transcendent sovereignty that also becomes manifest through auspicious forms and symbols.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu being worshipped by gods and sages in this verse?

It establishes Vishnu’s supremacy: even the highest celestial powers and seers are depicted as devotees, reinforcing Vaishnava doctrine that Vishnu is the ultimate ground of reality and refuge.