Shloka 29

Qualities of the Five Great Elements; Description of Sudarśana-dvīpa and Mount Meru

Devanagari script

अधस्ताच्चतुरशीतिर्योजनानां द्विजोत्तमाः । ऊर्ध्वमधश्च तिर्यक्च लोकानावृत्य तिष्ठति

Transliteration

adhastāccaturaśītiryojanānāṃ dvijottamāḥ | ūrdhvamadhaśca tiryakca lokānāvṛtya tiṣṭhati

Translation

హే ద్విజోత్తములారా! అది క్రిందకు కూడా ఎనభై నాలుగు యోజనముల వరకు విస్తరించింది; పైకి, క్రిందకు, అడ్డంగా వ్యాపించి లోకములను ఆవరించి నిలిచియున్నది.

Word by Word

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb of place) "below"

• चतुरशीतिḥ: eighty-four
• चतुरशीतिḥ: प्रमाण (Pramāṇa/Measure)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुरशीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); संख्या (number) = 84

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative address; syntactically nominative form used in address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Genitive Tatpurusha): द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Directional sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: दिशावाचक-अव्ययम् (directional adverb) "upwards"

• अधः: downwards
• अधः: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Directional sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: दिशावाचक-अव्ययम् (directional adverb) "downwards"

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction) "and"

• तिर्यक्: horizontally
• तिर्यक्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Directional sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तिर्यक् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: दिशावाचक-अव्ययम् (directional adverb) "horizontally/across"

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रकारः: समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction) "and"

• लोकान्: worlds/realms
• लोकान्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आवृत्य: having encompassed
• आवृत्य: पूर्वकाल (Pūrvakāla/Anterior action to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु) + ल्यप् (Kṛdanta)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive): "having covered/encompassed"; उपसर्गः: आ-

• तिष्ठति: stands/remains
• तिष्ठति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb; with implied कर्ता = सः/मेरुः etc.)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/Indicative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative voice within Svarga-khaṇḍa; vocative addressed to dvijottamāḥ)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: mountain

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: अधस्तात् + च → अधस्ताच्च; चतुरशीतिḥ + योजनानाम् → चतुरशीतिर्योजनानाम्; तिर्यक् + च → तिर्यक्च; लोकान् + आवृत्य → लोकानावृत्य

FAQs

What is being described as spanning eighty-four yojanas downward?

The verse refers to an unnamed cosmic structure or boundary that extends 84 yojanas below and is said to enclose the worlds in all directions; the immediate referent depends on the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 3.

Does this verse teach bhakti or ritual practice directly?

No. This śloka is primarily cosmographical, focusing on spatial extent and enclosure of the lokas rather than devotion, ethics, or ritual.

What is the ethical or philosophical takeaway from this verse?

Its main implication is worldview-oriented: it presents the cosmos as ordered and bounded, encouraging contemplation of the vast, structured universe described in Purāṇic tradition.