Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

तेषु दानवदैतेयजातयः शतसंघशः निवसन्ति महानागजातयश् च महामुने

Transliteration

teṣu dānavadaiteyajātayaḥ śatasaṃghaśaḥ nivasanti mahānāgajātayaś ca mahāmune

Translation

அந்த உலகங்களில் தானவர்கள், தைத்யர்கள் எனப் பல குலங்கள் நூற்றுக் கூட்டங்களாக வாழ்கின்றன; அங்கேயே, ஓ மகாமுனியே, மகாநாகர்களின் வல்லமைமிக்க வம்சங்களும் குடியிருக்கின்றன।

Word by Word

• तेषु: in/among them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुं/नपुं, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दानव-दैतेय-जातयः: the races of Dānavas and Daiteyas
• दानव-दैतेय-जातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + दैतेय (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शत-संघशः: in hundreds of groups; by hundreds
• शत-संघशः: Visheshana (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + संघशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), प्रकार/परिमाणवाचक (manner/quantity adverb)

• निवसन्ति: dwell; reside
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वस् (धातु) नि-उपसर्ग
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• महानाग-जातयः: the races of great Nāgas
• महानाग-जातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानाग (प्रातिपदिक) + जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Characters & Entities

• Dānavas
• Daiteyas
• Mahānāgas

FAQs

What is the significance of Dānavas and Daiteyas being listed among cosmic inhabitants in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse shows that even asuric lineages have appointed domains within the ordered cosmos, indicating a regulated universe where all beings exist within Vishnu’s overarching sovereignty.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the structure of the worlds through such listings?

Parāśara maps the universe by pairing regions with their characteristic residents, using genealogical and species-like categories (jātayaḥ) to make the cosmic geography concrete for Maitreya.

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

Though Vishnu is not named in the verse, the cosmological catalog presupposes a universe sustained and governed by the Supreme Reality (Vishnu), in which even formidable beings like Nāgas and Asuras occupy defined places.