Shloka 23

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

भौमम् एतत् पयो दुग्धं गोभिः सूर्यस्य वारिदः पर्जन्यः सर्वलोकस्य भवाय भुवि वर्षति

Transliteration

bhaumam etat payo dugdhaṃ gobhiḥ sūryasya vāridaḥ parjanyaḥ sarvalokasya bhavāya bhuvi varṣati

Translation

This earthly milk—nourishment like milk—is drawn forth by the Sun’s rays as though by cows; and the rain-bearing cloud, as Parjanya, pours it upon the earth for the welfare of all the worlds.

Word by Word

• bhaumam: earthly, belonging to the earth
• bhaumam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhauma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• payaḥ: water, milk (liquid)
• payaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• dugdham: milk
• dugdham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dugdha (कृदन्त; √duh/दुह्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘दुग्ध’ = milked (milk)

• gobhiḥ: by cows
• gobhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो-शब्दः), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• sūryasya: of the Sun
• sūryasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• vāridaḥ: the water-giver (cloud/rain-bringer)
• vāridaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāri-da (प्रातिपदिक: vāri + da)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘वारि ददाति’ = water-giver

• parjanyaḥ: Parjanya (rain-god), rain
• parjanyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parjanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sarva-lokasya: of the whole world
• sarva-lokasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (determinative): ‘सर्वेषां लोकानां’

• bhavāya: for welfare/prosperity
• bhavāya: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• bhuvi: on the earth
• bhuvi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• varṣati: rains
• varṣati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛṣ (वृष्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Kṛṣṇa frames rainfall as a regulated cosmic sacrifice-like cycle to redirect Vraja from Indra-centric fear to dharma-informed understanding.

Leela: Dharma-upadesa

Dharma Restored: Recognition of interdependent cosmic order (sun–cloud–rain) that sustains beings

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Rain is ‘earth’s milk’: drawn up by the sun and released by clouds for the welfare and continuance of all worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: See ecology as sacred reciprocity; support water stewardship and gratitude practices.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos functions as a meaningful, providential order serving the welfare (bhava) of beings, consistent with an immanent divine governance.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Sun)
• Parjanya (Rain)
• Varida (Cloud)
• Earth (Bhumi)

FAQs

What is the significance of the rain cycle in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents rain as a sacred, ordered process: the Sun draws out the earth’s nourishing essence and the cloud releases it as rain, sustaining the existence and welfare of all beings.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between the Sun and rain?

Parāśara uses a vivid metaphor: the Sun’s rays act like ‘cows’ that milk nourishment/essence, which the cloud (vārida) then pours down as Parjanya’s rain for the world’s continuance.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching implies a Vishnu-governed cosmic sovereignty: natural forces function in harmony as instruments of sustaining order, reflecting the Purana’s vision of a divinely upheld universe.