Shloka 31

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

येनेदम् आवृतं सर्वम् अण्डम् अप्सु प्रलीयते सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्तं सप्तलोकं सपर्वतम्

Transliteration

yenedam āvṛtaṃ sarvam aṇḍam apsu pralīyate saptadvīpasamudrāntaṃ saptalokaṃ saparvatam

Translation

He by whom this entire cosmic Egg is encompassed—at the end it dissolves into the Waters: the whole expanse bounded by the seven continents and their oceans, the seven worlds, and all the mountains as well.

Word by Word

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे साधन-भावः (instrumental/means)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अव्यक्त-निर्देशः (this)

• आवृतम्: covered, enveloped
• आवृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• अण्डम्: cosmic egg, universe
• अण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अप्सु: in the waters
• अप्सु: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; स्थानाधिकरणम्

• प्रलीयते: dissolves, is dissolved
• प्रलीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√ली (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; भावे/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (dissolves)

• सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्तम्: bounded by oceans around the seven continents
• सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/निर्धारणार्थः—‘सप्तद्वीपैः समुद्रैः अन्तः/पर्यन्तः यस्य’ (having oceans as boundaries around the seven islands)

• सप्तलोकम्: (the) seven worlds
• सप्तलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (numeral compound)

• सपर्वतम्: together with mountains
• सपर्वतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुषः—‘पर्वतैः सह’ (together with mountains)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Nature and sequence of dissolution (pralaya) of the cosmos and its coverings

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Brahmanda (universe)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: All structured cosmological tiers—continents, oceans, worlds, and mountains—are ultimately reabsorbed into the causal waters at dissolution by the Lord who encompasses the brahmāṇḍa.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Cultivate vairāgya by contemplating the impermanence of even the grandest cosmic structures.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos is real yet dependent, sustained and withdrawn by the Supreme who pervades and contains it.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahmanda (Cosmic Egg)
• Apas (Primordial Waters)
• Sapta-dvipa
• Sapta-loka
• Mountains (Parvata)

FAQs

What is the significance of dissolution into the Waters (āpas) in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse describes pralaya as a reabsorption of the entire brahmāṇḍa—continents, oceans, worlds, and mountains—into the primordial waters under Vishnu’s encompassing power.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the universe’s structure here?

He summarizes the cosmos as the cosmic Egg containing the seven continents with surrounding oceans, the seven worlds, and the mountain systems—presented as a single integrated order that is later dissolved.

What is Lord Vishnu’s theological importance in this context?

Vishnu is implied as the supreme ground of being: the one who pervades and contains the cosmos and into whose ordained process the entire universe returns at dissolution.