Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

क्रौञ्चद्वीपो महाभाग श्रूयतां चापरो महान् कुशद्वीपस्य विस्ताराद् द्विगुणो यस्य विस्तरः

Transliteration

krauñcadvīpo mahābhāga śrūyatāṃ cāparo mahān kuśadvīpasya vistārād dviguṇo yasya vistaraḥ

Translation

ഹേ മഹാഭാഗനേ! ഇനി മറ്റൊരു മഹാവിസ്തൃതമായ ലോകമായ മഹാ ക്രൗഞ്ചദ്വീപിനെ കേൾക്കുക; അതിന്റെ വീതി കുശദ്വീപിന്റെ ഇരട്ടിയെന്ന് പറയപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• क्रौञ्चद्वीपः: Krauñca-dvīpa (the island named Krauñca)
• क्रौञ्चद्वीपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौञ्च + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महाभाग: O fortunate one
• महाभाग: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रूयताम्: let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद; आज्ञार्थे/विधिलिङ्गार्थे—“let it be heard”

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपरः: another
• अपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कुशद्वीपस्य: of Kuśa-dvīpa
• कुशद्वीपस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुश + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• विस्तारात्: from (the) extent
• विस्तारात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• द्विगुणः: double
• द्विगुणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• विस्तरः: extent, expanse
• विस्तरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography and the measurement of the dvīpas (Jambū-ādi) and their relative extents

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The world is presented as an intelligibly ordered manifestation, where even vast realms have defined measures within a coherent cosmic plan.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Contemplate order and proportionality in nature to cultivate steadiness and reverence rather than confusion before immensity.

Vishishtadvaita: Cosmic order is meaningful because the universe is a real, structured mode (prakāra) of the Supreme, not an illusory chaos.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Krauñca-dvīpa
• Kuśa-dvīpa

FAQs

What is the significance of Krauñca-dvīpa in the Vishnu Purana?

It is one of the seven concentric continents (dvīpas) described in Ansha 2, illustrating the ordered, graduated structure of the cosmos.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmological scale in this passage?

He uses comparative measurement—stating Krauñca-dvīpa is double the extent of Kuśa-dvīpa—showing a systematic expansion pattern in the dvīpa descriptions.

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

Though not named in this verse, the ordered cosmic geography belongs to Vishnu’s sovereign governance of creation, supporting a Vaishnava view of the universe as structured under the Supreme Reality.