Shloka 10

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

नातिक्रान्तुम् अलं ब्रह्मंस् तद् अद्यापि महोदधिः नित्यं संनिहितस् तत्र भगवान् केशवो यतः

Transliteration

nātikrāntum alaṃ brahmaṃs tad adyāpi mahodadhiḥ nityaṃ saṃnihitas tatra bhagavān keśavo yataḥ

Translation

O Brahman, even to this day that great ocean cannot overstep its bounds, for there the Blessed Lord Keśava ever abides.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• atikrāntum: to cross over
• atikrāntum: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati-√kram (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (infinitive), उपसर्गः अति; अर्थः ‘अतिक्रमितुम्’ (to cross/overstep)

• alam: able; sufficient
• alam: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable of sufficiency: ‘enough/able’)

• brahman: O Brahman (sage)
• brahman: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन (vocative singular)

• tat: that (thing)
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (nominative singular; deictic ‘that/it’)

• adya: today; now
• adya: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• api: still; even
• api: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even/still’)

• mahā-udadhiḥ: the great ocean
• mahā-udadhiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + udadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (‘महान् उदधिः’)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Sambandha (Modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative: ‘always/constantly’)

• saṃnihitaḥ: is present; is situated
• saṃnihitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-√dhā/√ni-dhā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘संनिहितः’ (present/near)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: ‘there’)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• keśavaḥ: Keshava (Vishnu)
• keśavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (apposition to bhagavān)

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय/सम्बन्धबोधक (indeclinable: ‘because/wherefrom’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred places and events connected with Viṣṇu’s presence and their protective power (ocean kept within bounds).

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The stability of the world (e.g., the ocean’s limits) is sustained by Bhagavān’s ever-present governance.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate divine order in nature to cultivate trust (śraddhā) and steadiness amid change.

Vishishtadvaita: Vişṇu is transcendent yet immanently present as the controller who upholds cosmic limits (antaryāmin-niyantṛ).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Antaryamin: Yes

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ocean (Mahodadhi)

FAQs

What is the significance of the ocean not crossing its limits in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents the ocean’s boundary as a sign of cosmic order: the world’s stability is maintained because Vishnu (Keśava) is eternally present as the sustaining power.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine governance over nature here?

Parāśara frames natural law as dependent on the Lord’s continuous presence—nature does not merely “behave,” it remains regulated because the Supreme sustainer abides within creation.

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

Keśava is shown as the immanent Supreme Reality whose sovereignty preserves boundaries and order, aligning with Vaishnava teachings that the cosmos endures through Vishnu’s sustaining will.