Shloka 34

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

श्रूयन्ते गिरयश् चामी वने ऽस्मिन् कामरूपिणः तत् तद् रूपं समास्थाय रमन्ते स्वेषु सानुषु

Transliteration

śrūyante girayaś cāmī vane 'smin kāmarūpiṇaḥ tat tad rūpaṃ samāsthāya ramante sveṣu sānuṣu

Translation

It is heard, O Maitreya, that in this very forest there are mountains that can assume whatever form they desire. Taking on this or that chosen shape, they delight upon their own slopes.

Word by Word

• श्रूयन्ते: are heard
• श्रूयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: are heard)

• गिरयः: mountains
• गिरयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• अमी: these (those)
• अमी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कामरूपिणः: shape-shifting at will
• कामरूपिणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कामेन/इच्छया रूपं यस्य), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (गिरयः/अमी)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (रूपं इत्यस्य)

• तत्: that (each)
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग (each and every)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समास्थाय: having assumed
• समास्थाय: Purvakala-Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/absolutive), ‘सम्-आ-स्था’ = समास्थाय (having assumed)

• रमन्ते: they sport, delight
• रमन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• स्वेषु: in their own
• स्वेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; विशेषण (सानुषु)

• सानुषु: on the ridges/peaks
• सानुषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Marvels and peculiarities of the forest/mountain region associated with Vraja.

Teaching: Historical

Quality: wonder-invoking

Characters & Entities

• Mountains
• Forest (vana)
• Maitreya
• Sage Parasara

FAQs

What is the significance of shape-shifting mountains in the Vishnu Purana?

They illustrate the Purāṇic idea that creation contains lawful marvels (adbhuta) within a divinely sustained cosmic order, where even landscapes can manifest extraordinary powers.

How does Sage Parāśara explain wonders of the world to Maitreya in this section?

He narrates features of forests, mountains, and regions as part of Bhuvana-kośa teaching—using reported tradition (“it is heard”) to map sacred geography and its marvels.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the framework is Vaishnava: the world’s stability and its wonders arise under the supreme governance of Vishnu as the sustaining Reality.