Shloka 82
सूर्यरथ-कालचक्र-आयनविभागः, संध्योपासनम्, देवयान-पितृयानम्, विष्णुपद-गङ्गावतरणम्
लोकालोकस् तु यः शैलः प्रागुक्तो भवतो मया लोकपालास् तु चत्वारस् तत्र तिष्ठन्ति सुव्रताः
lokālokas tu yaḥ śailaḥ prāgukto bhavato mayā lokapālās tu catvāras tatra tiṣṭhanti suvratāḥ
That mountain called Lokāloka—of which I spoke to you before—stands as the great boundary of the worlds; and upon it abide the four Lokapālas, guardians of the quarters, steadfast in sacred vows, upholding the cosmic order under the Supreme Lord.
Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Lokāloka mountain as the boundary of the worlds and the station of the four guardians
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: revealing
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)
Concept: Cosmic order is maintained through divinely appointed guardians stationed at liminal boundaries of the worlds.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Contemplate boundaries—ethical and ritual—as supports for inner order; cultivate steadiness like the lokapālas in one’s duties.
Vishishtadvaita: The world-order (loka-maryādā) is a real, purposeful arrangement sustained by the Supreme through appointed powers.
Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)
Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)
FAQs
Lokāloka is presented as a cosmic boundary-mountain marking the limit of the illuminated, knowable worlds and the region beyond; it functions as a structural edge of the ordered universe.
Parāśara states that four Lokapālas abide at Lokāloka, standing firm in their vows, indicating their duty to guard the quarters and uphold the stability of the cosmic arrangement.
Even when the verse speaks through cosmographic details, the implied frame is that cosmic boundaries and guardianship serve a divinely ordered universe—ultimately grounded in the Supreme sovereignty attributed to Vishnu in the Purana’s worldview.