Shloka 23

शरद्वर्णनं, योगोपमा, तथा गोवर्धन-यज्ञप्रवर्तनम्

Devanagari script

भौमम् एतत् पयो दुग्धं गोभिः सूर्यस्य वारिदः पर्जन्यः सर्वलोकस्य भवाय भुवि वर्षति

Transliteration

bhaumam etat payo dugdhaṃ gobhiḥ sūryasya vāridaḥ parjanyaḥ sarvalokasya bhavāya bhuvi varṣati

Translation

Ce ‘lait’ de la terre—nourriture semblable au lait—est tiré par les rayons du Soleil comme par des vaches; puis le nuage porteur d’eaux, Parjanya, le répand sur la terre pour le bien et la prospérité de tous les mondes.

Word by Word

• bhaumam: earthly, belonging to the earth
• bhaumam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhauma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• payaḥ: water, milk (liquid)
• payaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: payas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• dugdham: milk
• dugdham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dugdha (कृदन्त; √duh/दुह्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘दुग्ध’ = milked (milk)

• gobhiḥ: by cows
• gobhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो-शब्दः), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• sūryasya: of the Sun
• sūryasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• vāridaḥ: the water-giver (cloud/rain-bringer)
• vāridaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāri-da (प्रातिपदिक: vāri + da)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘वारि ददाति’ = water-giver

• parjanyaḥ: Parjanya (rain-god), rain
• parjanyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parjanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• sarva-lokasya: of the whole world
• sarva-lokasya: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (determinative): ‘सर्वेषां लोकानां’

• bhavāya: for welfare/prosperity
• bhavāya: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• bhuvi: on the earth
• bhuvi: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• varṣati: rains
• varṣati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛṣ (वृष्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Sun)
• Parjanya (Rain)
• Varida (Cloud)
• Earth (Bhumi)

FAQs

What is the significance of the rain cycle in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents rain as a sacred, ordered process: the Sun draws out the earth’s nourishing essence and the cloud releases it as rain, sustaining the existence and welfare of all beings.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the relationship between the Sun and rain?

Parāśara uses a vivid metaphor: the Sun’s rays act like ‘cows’ that milk nourishment/essence, which the cloud (vārida) then pours down as Parjanya’s rain for the world’s continuance.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the teaching implies a Vishnu-governed cosmic sovereignty: natural forces function in harmony as instruments of sustaining order, reflecting the Purana’s vision of a divinely upheld universe.