Shloka 12

Devanagari script

यो ऽनन्तः पृथिवीं धत्ते शेखरस्थितिसंस्थिताम् सो ऽवतीर्णो जगत्यर्थे माम् अक्रूरेति वक्ष्यति

Transliteration

yo 'nantaḥ pṛthivīṃ dhatte śekharasthitisaṃsthitām so 'vatīrṇo jagatyarthe mām akrūreti vakṣyati

Translation

He who is Ananta—the Infinite—who upholds the Earth, firmly poised upon the summit of His own cosmic station: that very Lord has descended for the welfare of the world, and He will address me, saying, “O Akrūra.”

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• अनन्तः: Ananta (the infinite one)
• अनन्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘यः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धत्ते: supports, bears
• धत्ते: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शेखरस्थितिसंस्थिताम्: resting in the position of a crest (i.e., set as an ornament)
• शेखरस्थितिसंस्थिताम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेखर + स्थिति + संस्थिता (प्रातिपदिक; √स्था + सम् + क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः (शेखरे स्थितिः यस्याः/शेखरस्थितौ संस्थिता) ‘पृथिवीम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशक (correlative pronoun)

• अवतीर्णः: descended, incarnated
• अवतीर्णः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + तॄ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘सः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जगत्यर्थे: for the sake of the world
• जगत्यर्थे: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-अर्थे सप्तमी (for the sake of) प्रयोगः; समासः (जगतः अर्थे)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अक्रूर: O Akrūra
• अक्रूर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-एकवचन (Vocative); इति-पूर्वकं संबोधनम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākya-sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उद्धरण/quotative particle)

• वक्ष्यति: will say
• वक्ष्यति: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya; verse voiced as Akrūra’s recognition/foreknowledge within the narrative)

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: The Infinite Lord who supports the Earth descends to act for the world’s welfare and to set His devotees into motion (here, addressing Akrura).

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of the Earth’s stability and the righteous order of society

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The transcendent Ananta who upholds the Earth also personally descends and speaks to devotees, bridging cosmic sovereignty and intimate grace.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Hold together cosmic reverence and personal devotion: address the Lord as near and responsive while remembering His infinite majesty.

Vishishtadvaita: The same Supreme who sustains the cosmos enters history and relationship, affirming immanence without loss of transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: Dasya

Vyuha Form: Aniruddha

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ananta (Shesha)
• Earth (Prithivi)
• Akrura
• Krishna (implied avatar)

FAQs

What is the significance of Ananta upholding the Earth in the Vishnu Purana?

It presents Vishnu (as Ananta) as the cosmic ground of stability—Earth and order endure because the Infinite Lord sustains them.

How does Sage Parāśara frame Krishna’s descent in this passage?

As a purposeful avatāra: the Infinite Lord descends “for the world’s sake,” linking divine incarnation with restoration and protection of dharma.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Vishnu is portrayed as both transcendent (Ananta, the Infinite sustainer) and immanent (addressing Akrūra in human history), reinforcing His supremacy and compassionate governance.