Shloka 29

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

उर्वी महांश् च जगतः प्रान्ते ऽन्तर् बाह्यतस् तथा

Transliteration

urvī mahāṃś ca jagataḥ prānte 'ntar bāhyatas tathā

Translation

At the very extremity of the cosmos lies the vast Earth—spreading in every direction—both within and without, as the boundary and support of the world-system.

Word by Word

• उर्वी: earth
• उर्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (fem nom sg)

• महान्: Mahān (the Great principle)
• महान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (masc nom sg)

• च: and
• च: Prayojaka (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (neuter gen sg)

• प्रान्ते: at the boundary; at the end
• प्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन (masc loc sg)

• अन्तः: within; inwardly
• अन्तः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्तः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (indeclinable adverb of place)

• बाह्यतः: externally; from outside
• बाह्यतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बाह्यतः (अव्यय; बाह्य-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त देशवाचक (indeclinable; ‘from outside/externally’)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Prayojaka (Connector/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable adverb)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Boundary-structure of the world-system and its extremities

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: descriptive

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas (worlds)

Vaishnava Theology

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Earth (Urvī)
• Jagat (cosmos/world-system)

FAQs

What is the significance of describing Earth at the 'boundary of the cosmos' in the Vishnu Purana?

It frames Earth (urvī) as a structural element in the Purāṇic world-model, marking the limits and arrangement of the jagat and emphasizing an ordered, intelligible cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the cosmos as 'within and without' (antaḥ/bāhyataḥ)?

He uses spatial language to indicate that the world-system has an interior and an exterior aspect—an organized enclosure—so the listener understands the cosmos as layered and bounded rather than chaotic.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the Purāṇic cosmology presumes a supreme sustaining principle; the ordered placement of worlds ultimately points to Vishnu as the sovereign ground and support of creation.