Shloka 21

लोकसंस्थानम्, ग्रहदूरी-प्रमाणम्, ब्रह्माण्डावरणानि, विष्णोः जगत्कारणत्वम्

Devanagari script

एते सप्त मया लोका मैत्रेय कथितास् तव पातालानि च सप्तैव ब्रह्माण्डस्यैष विस्तरः

Transliteration

ete sapta mayā lokā maitreya kathitās tava pātālāni ca saptaiva brahmāṇḍasyaiṣa vistaraḥ

Translation

Thus, O Maitreya, I have declared to you the seven worlds—and likewise the seven nether realms. This is the full ordered extent of the Brahmāṇḍa, the Cosmic Egg.

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम्

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लोकाः: worlds
• लोकाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मैत्रेय: O Maitreya
• मैत्रेय: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• कथिताः: have been described
• कथिताः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे ("have been told")

• तव: to you/for you
• तव: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पातालानि: the netherworlds (Pātālas)
• पातालानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed, exactly
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ब्रह्माण्डस्य: of the cosmic egg (universe)
• ब्रह्माण्डस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन् + अण्ड)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः

• एषः: this
• एषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• विस्तरः: extent, description, expanse
• विस्तरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Enumeration of the seven lokas and seven pātālas as the ordered extent of the brahmāṇḍa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: systematic

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The cosmos is a comprehensible, ordered totality (brahmāṇḍa) structured into seven lokas above and seven pātālas below.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Use the ordered cosmos as a contemplative aid: cultivate humility and devotion by recognizing one’s place within a vast, law-governed creation.

Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order (niyati) is intelligible as the Lord’s body and governance—multiplicity is real yet harmonized under the one Supreme.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Brahmāṇḍa
• Lokas
• Pātālas

FAQs

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

They present a complete vertical map of existence—higher worlds and nether realms—showing the ordered structure (vistāra) of the Brahmāṇḍa as taught by Parāśara to Maitreya.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the universe’s structure in this passage?

He concludes his enumeration by stating that he has described both the seven Lokas and the seven Pātālas, framing them together as the total extent of the Brahmāṇḍa.

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

Even when not named in the verse, Vishnu Purana cosmology is ultimately oriented to Vishnu as the supreme ground of order—this structured Brahmāṇḍa is intelligible as part of the divine governance sustaining creation.