Shloka 8

अलर्कस्य दीर्घराज्यवर्णनम्

Alarka’s Extraordinary Reign

Devanagari script

षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिवर्षशतानि च अलर्काद् अपरो नान्यो बुभुजे मेदिनीं युवा

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭivarṣaśatāni ca alarkād aparo nānyo bubhuje medinīṃ yuvā

Translation

ຕະຫຼອດຫົກໝື່ນປີ ແລະເພີ່ມອີກຫົກຮ້ອຍປີ ບໍ່ມີຊາຍໜຸ່ມຄົນໃດນອກຈາກອະລະກະ ທີ່ໄດ້ຄອບຄອງ—ຄືປົກຄອງ—ແຜ່ນດິນໂດຍບໍ່ມີຄູ່ແຂ່ງ.

Word by Word

• षष्टि-वर्ष-सहस्राणि: sixty thousand years
• षष्टि-वर्ष-सहस्राणि: Karma (Extent/measure as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; संख्या-तत्पुरुष: 'षष्ट्या वर्षाणां सहस्राणि' = sixty-year thousands

• षष्टि-वर्ष-शतानि: six hundred years (lit. sixty-year hundreds)
• षष्टि-वर्ष-शतानि: Karma (Extent/measure/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्या-तत्पुरुष: 'षष्ट्या वर्षाणां शतानि'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अलर्कात्: than Alarka / from Alarka
• अलर्कात्: Apadana (Source/standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• अपरः: another
• अपरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष्यवत् (used substantively: 'another')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यः: any other
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बुभुजे: enjoyed/ruled
• बुभुजे: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मेदिनीम्: the earth
• मेदिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• युवा: (while) young
• युवा: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Characters & Entities

• Alarka
• Earth (Medinī)
• Kings

FAQs

What is the significance of King Alarka’s long reign in the Vishnu Purana?

It functions as a dynastic marker—Purāṇic history often highlights extraordinary reign-lengths to emphasize a king’s unrivaled sovereignty and to anchor genealogical chronology.

How does Sage Parāśara present royal authority in this verse?

By stating that none other ‘enjoyed/ruled’ the earth for that vast span, he frames kingship as exclusive, stable dominion—an index of ordered rule (dharma) within the larger Purāṇic timeline.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purāṇa’s dynastic order is ultimately situated within Vishnu’s cosmic governance—earthly sovereignty is portrayed as a contingent reflection of the Supreme Reality sustaining universal order.