Shloka 56

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

नद्यः समुद्रा गिरयः सकला च वसुंधरा देवा मनुष्याः पशवस् तरवः ससरीसृपाः

Transliteration

nadyaḥ samudrā girayaḥ sakalā ca vasuṃdharā devā manuṣyāḥ paśavas taravaḥ sasarīsṛpāḥ

Translation

നദികളും സമുദ്രങ്ങളും, പർവതങ്ങളും സമസ്ത ഭൂമിയും; ദേവന്മാരും മനുഷ്യരും; മൃഗങ്ങളും വൃക്ഷങ്ങളും എല്ലാ സരീസൃപങ്ങളും—ഇവയെല്ലാം ഒരേ സർവ്വവ്യാപിയായ സൃഷ്ടിനിയമത്തിൽ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; പരമേശ്വരൻ അന്തര്യാമിയായി അവയെ ധരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समुद्राः: oceans
• समुद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गिरयः: mountains
• गिरयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सकलाः: all (entire)
• सकलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying)

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

• वसुंधरा: the earth
• वसुंधरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुंधरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मनुष्याः: humans
• मनुष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पशवः: animals
• पशवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तरवः: trees
• तरवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ससरीसृपाः: (and) reptiles/creeping creatures
• ससरीसृपाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + सरीसृप (प्रातिपदिक); सरीसृप = सृप् (धातु) + णिनि-प्रत्यय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'स-' उपसर्गार्थक-पूर्वपद (with)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

FAQs

What is the significance of listing rivers, oceans, mountains, and living beings in the Vishnu Purana?

The verse functions as a cosmological inventory, emphasizing that all realms—geographical and biological—belong to one ordered creation under divine governance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the unity of diverse beings in this context?

By grouping natural features and all classes of life together, Parāśara frames them as parts of a single cosmic system, implicitly dependent on the Supreme sustainer.

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

Even when not named explicitly, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology presumes Vishnu as the supreme ground and sustainer of all entities, affirming His sovereignty over the entire created order.