Vamana Purana — Sukesha's Boon & Twelve Dharmas, Shloka 31

Sukesha’s Boon, the Twelve Dharmas of Beings, and the Cosmography of the Seven Dvipas with the Twenty-One Hells

Devanagari script

योजनानां प्रमाणेणन पञ्चाशत्कोटिरायता जलोपरि महीयं हि नौरिवास्ते सरिज्जले

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ pramāṇeṇana pañcāśatkoṭirāyatā jalopari mahīyaṃ hi naurivāste sarijjale

Translation

Mesurée en yojanas, la Terre s’étend sur cinquante koṭis (de yojanas). Reposant sur les eaux, cette Terre demeure telle une barque sur le courant du fleuve.

Word by Word

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• प्रमाणेन: by measure/according to measure
• प्रमाणेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation: not)

• पञ्चाशत्कोटिः: fifty crores
• पञ्चाशत्कोटिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाशत्-कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; numerical compound)

• आयता: extended/long
• आयता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; qualifying मही)

• जलोपरी: above the water
• जलोपरी: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जल-उपरि (अव्ययीभाव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, अव्ययवत् (indeclinable adverbial compound: above the water)

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Visheshya (विशेष्य/subject demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• नौः: a boat
• नौः: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-sambandha (उपमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक अव्यय (particle of comparison: like/as)

• आस्ते: rests/remains
• आस्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (3rd person singular, Present, Ātmanepada)

• सरित्-जले: in river-water
• सरित्-जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित्-जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

Speakers

• Not specified in input (often framed as Pulastya → Nārada in the Vāmana Purāṇa)

Key Themes

• Sarga (creation/cosmography)
• Cosmic order
• Purāṇic geography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes the ordered, measurable structure of the cosmos while portraying the Earth as dependent upon a deeper substrate (the waters), encouraging humility regarding human centrality and trust in cosmic order (ṛta/dharma).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Primarily Sarga (account of the world’s formation and structure) and secondarily cosmographical detailing often embedded within Sarga/Pratisarga discussions.

What is the symbolic significance?

The “Earth as a boat on waters” is a common Purāṇic symbol of contingency: the manifest world is stable only by divine/cosmic support, and life moves amid currents (saṃsāra) requiring right orientation (dharma) like navigation.