Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

दशसाहस्रम् एकैकं पातालं मुनिसत्तम अतलं वितलं चैव नितलं च गभस्तिमत् महाख्यं सुतलं चाग्र्यं पातालं चापि सप्तमम्

Transliteration

daśasāhasram ekaikaṃ pātālaṃ munisattama atalaṃ vitalaṃ caiva nitalaṃ ca gabhastimat mahākhyaṃ sutalaṃ cāgryaṃ pātālaṃ cāpi saptamam

Translation

Each of the nether realms, O best of sages, extends for ten thousand (yojanas). They are Atala, Vitala, Nitala, and Gabhastimat; then Mahākhya and the excellent Sutala; and the seventh is also called Pātāla.

Word by Word

• दशसाहस्रम्: ten thousand
• दशसाहस्रम्: Measure (परिमाण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (ten-thousand)

• एकैकम्: each (one)
• एकैकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + एक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः ‘each one’ अर्थे (distributive)

• पातालम्: Pātāla (nether region)
• पातालम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुनिसत्तम: O best of sages
• मुनिसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; ‘मुनीनां सत्तमः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• अतलम्: Atala
• अतलम्: Apposition/List item (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वितलम्: Vitala
• वितलम्: Apposition/List item (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• नितलम्: Nitala
• नितलम्: Apposition/List item (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• गभस्तिमत्: Gabhastimat
• गभस्तिमत्: Apposition/List item (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गभस्ति + मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessing rays)

• महाख्यम्: Mahākhya
• महाख्यम्: Apposition/List item (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महा आख्यं’ इति कर्मधारयः (great-named)

• सुतलम्: Sutala
• सुतलम्: Apposition/List item (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• अग्र्यम्: the foremost
• अग्र्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पातालम्: Pātāla
• पातालम्: Apposition/List item (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Addition (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक निपात (also)

• सप्तमम्: seventh
• सप्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक; क्रमवाचक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (ordinal)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Enumeration and extent of the seven nether realms (pātālas)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The cosmos includes layered nether realms of defined extent, indicating a multi-tiered universe beyond ordinary perception.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Reflect on unseen layers of reality—ethical causality and consequences may operate beyond what is immediately visible.

Vishishtadvaita: Multiplicity of real realms within one divinely ordered cosmos supports the view of a structured, meaningful universe pervaded by the Lord’s rule.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Atala
• Vitala
• Nitala
• Gabhastimat
• Mahākhya
• Sutala
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the significance of the seven Pātālas in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse enumerates the seven nether realms and gives their uniform extent, presenting the lower worlds as a precisely ordered part of cosmic geography governed by divine law.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of the universe here?

Parāśara describes the cosmos systematically—naming each subterranean region and stating its measure—showing that even the underworld is organized, layered, and knowable through sacred narration.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in this specific verse, the Purāṇic cosmology is framed as operating within Vishnu’s supreme sovereignty—an ordered universe whose realms exist and function within the divine reality.