Shloka 22

मेरु-प्रमाणम्, सप्त-पाताल-वर्णनम्, तथा अनन्त-शेष-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

यस्यैषा सकला पृथ्वी फणामणिशिखारुणा आस्ते कुसुममालेव कस् तद्वीर्यं वदिष्यति

Transliteration

yasyaiṣā sakalā pṛthvī phaṇāmaṇiśikhāruṇā āste kusumamāleva kas tadvīryaṃ vadiṣyati

Translation

Dia yang di atas-Nya seluruh bumi ini bertumpu—merah menyala oleh sinar permata pada tudung-tudung ular—laksana kalungan bunga: siapakah mampu menyatakan ukuran keperkasaan-Nya?

Word by Word

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

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular demonstrative

• सकला: entire
• सकला: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular adjective

• पृथ्वी: earth
• पृथ्वी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• फणामणिशिखारुणा: reddened by the crest-jewel on (his) hood
• फणामणिशिखारुणा: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: फणा + मणि + शिखा + अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘फणामणिशिखया अरुणा’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषसमासः; Instrumental singular (means/association)

• आस्ते: rests/abides
• आस्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘abides’

• कुसुममाला: a garland of flowers
• कुसुममाला: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसुम + माला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कुसुमानां माला’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; Nominative singular

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Interrogative pronoun

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Demonstrative used adjectivally with ‘वीर्यम्’

• वीर्यम्: power
• वीर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• वदिष्यति: will describe
• वदिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘will speak/tell’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Poetic magnification of Śeṣa’s power through the image of earth as a garland upon his jewel-lit hoods.

Teaching: Devotional

Quality: compassionate

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The earth rests upon Ananta’s jewel-bright hoods like a garland, and his power is beyond complete articulation.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Use sacred imagery (dhyāna) to deepen reverence: visualize the world upheld by the divine to cultivate gratitude and surrender.

Vishishtadvaita: The cosmos is an ornament upon the divine—real, dependent, and meaningful—supporting the Viśiṣṭādvaita view of the world as God’s mode (prakāra) upheld by him.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Vyuha Form: Sankarshana

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi (earth)

Jagat Karana: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ananta/Shesha (the cosmic serpent)
• Earth (Prithvi)

FAQs

What is the significance of Earth resting on Ananta-Shesha in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse uses the image of Earth resting on the jeweled hoods of the cosmic serpent to convey that the universe is sustained by a divine, ordered support ultimately rooted in Vishnu’s sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the immeasurability of Vishnu’s power here?

By declaring that no one can truly ‘describe’ (vadiṣyati) His vīrya, Parāśara frames Vishnu’s greatness as beyond complete speech or measure, even while giving a vivid cosmological symbol.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme Reality whose might underlies cosmic stability—an affirmation central to Vaishnava theology where the world’s order depends on the Lord’s sustaining power.