Shloka 1

नैमित्तिक-प्राकृत-प्रलयवर्णनम्

Periodic and Elemental Dissolution; Reabsorption into Paramātman

Devanagari script

सप्तर्षिस्थानम् आक्रम्य स्थिते ऽम्भसि महामुने एकार्णवं भवत्य् एतत् त्रैलोक्यम् अखिलं ततः

Transliteration

saptarṣisthānam ākramya sthite 'mbhasi mahāmune ekārṇavaṃ bhavaty etat trailokyam akhilaṃ tataḥ

Translation

Oh gran sabio, cuando las aguas se alzan y alcanzan incluso la región de los Siete Ṛṣis, desde ese instante todo el triple mundo se vuelve un solo océano inconmensurable.

Word by Word

• सप्तर्षिस्थानम्: the place of the seven sages
• सप्तर्षिस्थानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त-ऋषि-स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सप्तर्षीणां स्थानम्)

• आक्रम्य: having overstepped/approached
• आक्रम्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया

• स्थिते: when (it is) situated
• स्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; लोके/अधिकरणे प्रयोगः

• अम्भसि: in the waters
• अम्भसि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् मुनिः)

• एकार्णवम्: a single ocean (one flood)
• एकार्णवम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक-आर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं आर्णवम्)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयाणां लोकानां समाहारः)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (त्रैलोक्यम्)

• ततः: thereupon/then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थे अव्ययम्—अपादान/काल/क्रमसूचक (thereupon/from that)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Saptarshi (Seven Sages)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Saptarshi-sthāna in the Vishnu Purana?

It functions as a cosmological boundary-marker: when even the region of the Seven Sages is overtaken by the waters, it signals the completeness of the inundation and the onset of total-world submergence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain pralaya in this passage?

Parāśara presents pralaya as a progressive flooding that culminates in the entire trailokya losing its differentiated structures and becoming ekārṇava—one continuous ocean—indicating cosmic withdrawal before renewal.

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

Though not named in this single verse, the pralaya narrative in the Vishnu Purana is framed within Vishnu’s supreme governance: dissolution is not chaos but a lawful cosmic phase under the ultimate Reality who sustains, withdraws, and restores the worlds.