Shloka 53

नरक-निर्णयः, पाप-कर्म-फल-व्यवस्था, प्रायश्चित्त-क्रमः, तथा हरि-स्मरण-परमत्वम्

Devanagari script

समुद्राः पर्वताश् चैव द्वीपा वर्षाणि निम्नगाः संक्षेपात् सर्वम् आख्यातं किं भूयः श्रोतुम् इच्छसि

Transliteration

samudrāḥ parvatāś caiva dvīpā varṣāṇi nimnagāḥ saṃkṣepāt sarvam ākhyātaṃ kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotum icchasi

Translation

โอ ไมเตรยะ มหาสมุทร ภูเขา ทวีป แคว้น (วรรษะ) และสายน้ำทั้งหลาย—ทั้งหมดนี้ได้กล่าวแล้วโดยย่อแต่ครบแก่นสาร ท่านยังปรารถนาจะฟังสิ่งใดอีก?

Word by Word

• समुद्राः: oceans
• समुद्राः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पर्वताः: mountains
• पर्वताः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed, also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphasis)

• द्वीपाः: continents/islands
• द्वीपाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वर्षाणि: regions (varṣas)
• वर्षाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वर्ष = region/tract)

• निम्नगाः: rivers
• निम्नगाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निम्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (निम्नगा = नदी)

• संक्षेपात्: briefly, in summary
• संक्षेपात्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th case/ablative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (ablative used adverbially: “in brief”)

• सर्वम्: everything, the whole
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समस्तवाचक (the whole)

• आख्यातम्: has been explained
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• भूयः: further, again, more
• भूयः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरर्थक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: “again/further”)

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive); “to hear”

• इच्छसि: you wish/desire
• इच्छसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present indicative); मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (addressing Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Whether further details are desired after the summary of oceans, mountains, dvīpas, varṣas, and rivers

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: compassionate

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Dvipas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Purāṇic instruction can be given in concise essence (saṃkṣepa) while still conveying the complete intended meaning.

Application: Seek the ‘essence’ first—retain the structural map of teachings—then request deeper detail where it supports practice and understanding.

Vishishtadvaita: Models guru-śiṣya pedagogy: revelation is structured, progressive, and oriented to intelligibility rather than mere enumeration.

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Samudra (oceans)
• Parvata (mountains)
• Dvīpa (continents)
• Varṣa (regions)
• Rivers (Nimnagāḥ)

FAQs

What is the significance of dvīpas, varṣas, and oceans in the Vishnu Purana?

They form the Purāṇic map of the cosmos—sacred geography that frames how the universe is ordered and described before the text proceeds to other theological and historical topics.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmology in this passage?

He signals completion of a concise exposition—having summarized oceans, mountains, continents, regions, and rivers—and invites Maitreya to ask for the next subject, reflecting the dialogue-driven teaching style.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the cosmological description belongs to a Vaishnava framework where the universe’s structure is ultimately grounded in Vishnu’s sovereign order and sustaining reality.