Shloka 19

शिशुमार-रूपं, ध्रुवबन्धनम्, वृष्टिचक्र-पालनम्, नारायणाधारत्वम्

Devanagari script

तेन वृद्धिं परां नीतः सलिलेनौषधीगणः साधकः फलपाकान्तः प्रजानां द्विज जायते

Transliteration

tena vṛddhiṃ parāṃ nītaḥ salilenauṣadhīgaṇaḥ sādhakaḥ phalapākāntaḥ prajānāṃ dvija jāyate

Translation

ആ ജീവദായക ജലത്താൽ ഔഷധികളും സസ്യങ്ങളും പരമവളർച്ച പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; യഥാകാലം ഫലം പാകമാക്കി ജനങ്ങളുടെ ക്ഷേമം സാധിപ്പിക്കുന്ന യഥാർത്ഥ ‘സാധകൻ’ ആകുന്നു—അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് അതിനെ ‘ദ്വിജ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• तेन: by that (water)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-निर्देश

• वृद्धिम्: growth/increase
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• पराम्: supreme/great
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (वृद्धिम्)

• नीतः: led/brought (to)
• नीतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीत (√नी, क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोग; विशेषणम् (ओषधीगणः)

• सलिलेन: by water
• सलिलेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• ओषधीगणः: the group of plants
• ओषधीगणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधी + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—ओषधी-गण (ओषधीनां गणः)

• साधकः: accomplishing/producing
• साधकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधक (√साध्, ण्वुल्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ओषधीगणः)

• फलपाकान्तः: ending in the ripening of fruits / up to fruit-ripening
• फलपाकान्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फल + पाक + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—फल-पाक-अन्त (फलानां पाकस्य अन्तः/पर्यन्तः)

• प्रजानाम्: of creatures/people
• प्रजानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• द्विज: O twice-born
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• जायते: arises/comes to be
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: How rain enables crops to ripen and serve the welfare of people; etymological praise (‘dvija’)

Teaching: Ethical

Quality: didactic

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Life-giving water brings herbs to full increase and timely fruiting, thereby accomplishing the welfare of people—hence it is praised with a sacral epithet.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Practice gratitude and responsibility toward food systems—support sustainable agriculture and mindful consumption as part of dharma.

Vishishtadvaita: Human welfare and natural processes form a coordinated, meaningful whole within a real cosmos under divine order, aligning material prosperity with dharmic purpose.

Vaishnava Theology

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Water (Salila)
• Medicinal herbs and plants (Auṣadhis)
• Prajā (creatures/subjects)

FAQs

What is the significance of water (salila) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

Water is presented as the enabling power that brings herbs and plants to full growth and fruit, making it a direct agent of prosperity and survival for all beings.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmic order through natural processes here?

He frames vegetation’s timely fruiting as a regulated, purposeful process—nature functions as an ordered system that accomplishes the welfare of prajā, not as random occurrence.

Why is the term 'dvija' (twice-born) used in this context?

It is used metaphorically: through water’s agency, plants attain a renewed, higher state—culminating in fruit—so their life is seen as having a ‘second birth’ that benefits the world.