Shloka 6

भू-मण्डलसंक्षेपवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीप-सप्तसमुद्राः, मेरु-मानम्, गङ्गावतरणम्, देववन-सरोवर-लोकपालपुर्यः

Devanagari script

एते द्वीपाः समुद्रैस् तु सप्त सप्तभिर् आवृताः लवणेक्षुसुरासर्पिर्दधिदुग्धजलैः समम्

Transliteration

ete dvīpāḥ samudrais tu sapta saptabhir āvṛtāḥ lavaṇekṣusurāsarpirdadhidugdhajalaiḥ samam

Translation

Benua-benua (dvīpa) ini masing-masing dilingkari tujuh lautan—berturut-turut air masin, sari tebu, arak, mentega jernih (ghee), dadih, susu, dan air murni—tersusun menurut tertibnya.

Word by Word

• ete: these
• ete: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संकेत-विशेषण

• dvīpāḥ: islands
• dvīpāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• samudraiḥ: by oceans
• samudraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (by oceans)

• tu: indeed; but
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अनुवादबोधक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्/अविकारी संख्याविशेषण; ‘सप्तभिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• saptabhiḥ: with seven (in number)
• saptabhiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण; ‘समुद्रैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• āvṛtāḥ: surrounded; enclosed
• āvṛtāḥ: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√vṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘द्वीपाः’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

• lavaṇa: salt
• lavaṇa: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lavaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (salt)

• ikṣu: sugarcane (juice)
• ikṣu: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ikṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (sugarcane)

• surā: wine; liquor
• surā: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (liquor)

• sarpiḥ: ghee
• sarpiḥ: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpiṣ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (ghee)

• dadhi: curd; yogurt
• dadhi: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (curd)

• dugdha: milk
• dugdha: Sambandha (Compound-member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dugdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूपेण समासाङ्ग (milk)

• jalaiḥ: with waters (seas)
• jalaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण; पूर्वपदानि (lavaṇa-ikṣu-surā-sarpi-dadhi-dugdha) इत्यैः विशेषितम्

• samam: equally; correspondingly
• samam: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable usage): ‘समम्’ = equally/in the same manner

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Description of the seven encircling oceans corresponding to the dvīpas

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: precise, systematic

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The world-system is arranged in orderly concentric bands, with each dvīpa bounded by a distinct ocean of specific substance.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Use the image of concentric oceans as a meditation on layers of experience—sense, mind, intellect—each to be crossed by discipline.

Vishishtadvaita: Multiplicity of substances and regions is real yet coordinated—an expression of the Lord’s ordered śakti rather than illusionary chaos.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Bhakti Type: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Sapta-dvīpa
• Sapta-samudra

FAQs

What is the significance of the seven oceans in the Vishnu Purana?

They express a divinely ordered cosmos: each dvīpa is systematically enclosed by a distinct ocean, showing the structured sovereignty of the universe as taught in the Bhuvana-kośa section.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the world’s arrangement to Maitreya here?

Parāśara presents a sequential, layered geography—dvīpas surrounded by seven specific oceans—framing the world as an intelligible, rule-governed creation rather than a random expanse.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the Vishnu Purana’s cosmology functions as a map of His governance: the ordered world-system points to a supreme, sustaining Reality behind creation and its laws.