Shloka 33

सप्तद्वीप-समुद्र-प्रमाणम्: प्लक्षादि-द्वीपवर्णनं, लोकालोक-सीमा, चन्द्र-समुद्र-वृद्धिक्षयः

Devanagari script

एष द्वीपः समुद्रेण सुरोदेन समावृतः विस्ताराच् छाल्मलस्यैव समेन तु समन्ततः

Transliteration

eṣa dvīpaḥ samudreṇa surodena samāvṛtaḥ vistārāc chālmalasyaiva samena tu samantataḥ

Translation

ഈ ദ്വീപ് സുരാ-സമുദ്രം ചുറ്റിപ്പറ്റിയിരിക്കുന്നു; വിസ്താരത്തിൽ ഇത് എല്ലാദിക്കിലും ശാല്മല-ദ്വീപിനോട് സമമാണ്.

Word by Word

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• द्वीपः: island/continent
• द्वीपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समुद्रेण: by/with the ocean
• समुद्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• सुरोदेन: by the Suroda (sea)
• सुरोदेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरोद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समावृतः: surrounded
• समावृतः: Kriya (क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√वृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (समावृत = surrounded)

• विस्तारात्: in extent/with respect to size (from the standpoint of extent)
• विस्तारात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative); एकवचन

• शाल्मलस्य: of Śālmali (dvīpa)
• शाल्मलस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्मलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• समेन: with equal (measure)
• समेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (सम = equal)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative/contrast particle)

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: परितः-अर्थक-अव्यय (adverb; ‘on all sides’)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Ring-ocean and dvīpa measurements in Purāṇic cosmography

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Śālmala-dvīpa

FAQs

What is the significance of the oceans (like the surā-ocean) in the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology?

They mark concentric cosmic boundaries around each dvīpa, expressing a deliberate, ordered universe—an order ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereign sustaining power.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of the world in this section?

Parāśara presents a systematic description: each dvīpa is surrounded by a distinct ocean and is compared by measure to adjacent dvīpas, creating a layered, intelligible cosmographic model.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this geographical description?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Purāṇic map functions as a theology of order: the stable measures and boundaries imply a cosmos sustained and governed by the Supreme Reality, Vishnu.