Shloka 24

भारतवर्षमहात्म्यम् — कर्मभूमित्वम्, नवभेदाः, कुलपर्वताः-नद्यः-जनपदाः, युगचक्रविशेषः, यज्ञपुरुषविष्णुपूजा

Devanagari script

गायन्ति देवाः किल गीतकानि धन्यास् तु ये भारतभूमिभागे स्वर्गापवर्गास्पदहेतुभूते भवन्ति भूयः पुरुषाः सुरत्वात्

Transliteration

gāyanti devāḥ kila gītakāni dhanyās tu ye bhāratabhūmibhāge svargāpavargāspadahetubhūte bhavanti bhūyaḥ puruṣāḥ suratvāt

Translation

Sinasabi na ang mga diyos ay umaawit ng mga himno ng papuri: “Mapalad ang mga ipinanganak sa lupain ng Bhārata; ang lupang ito ang sanhi at saligan upang makamtan ang langit at ang mokṣa. Kahit nakamit na ang kalagayang-diyos, muli silang isinisilang doon bilang tao, sapagkat napakabihira ng gayong pagkakataon.”

Word by Word

• गायन्ति: (they) sing
• गायन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/reportative

• गीतकानि: songs/hymns
• गीतकानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), बहुवचन (plural)

• धन्याः: blessed/fortunate
• धन्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विरोधार्थक निपात (conjunctive/adversative particle)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject of relative clause/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural), सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• भारतभूमिभागे: in a region/part of the land of Bhārata
• भारतभूमिभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत-भूमि-भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (7th case/Locative), एकवचन (singular); समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bharatasya bhūmeḥ bhāgaḥ)

• स्वर्गापवर्गास्पदहेतुभूते: which has become the cause and abode of heaven and liberation
• स्वर्गापवर्गास्पदहेतुभूते: Visheshana (Qualifier of bhāratabhūmibhāge/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग-अपवर्ग-अस्पद-हेतु-भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (singular); समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; '...भूते' = 'भूत' (become) as adjectival member meaning 'being/serving as'

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural)

• भूयः: again/further/more
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• पुरुषाः: men/persons
• पुरुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (plural)

• सुरत्वात्: because of (their) godhood/divinity
• सुरत्वात्: Hetu/Reason (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography of Jambūdvīpa and the special status of Bhārata-varṣa

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Human birth in Bhārata is exceptionally auspicious because it enables disciplined practice that can yield both heavenly merit and liberation.

Vedantic Theme: Moksha

Application: Treat embodied life as a time-bound chance for sādhana—prioritize devotion, dharma, and inner purification over mere enjoyment.

Vishishtadvaita: Affirms a graded soteriology where embodied practice (in a dharma-field like Bhārata) can culminate in release under the Lord’s grace.

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Bhārata-varṣa
• Svarga
• Apavarga (Moksha)

FAQs

What is the significance of Bhārata-varṣa in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse presents Bhārata-varṣa as the prime “karma-field” where actions and dharma can lead not only to svarga (heaven) but also to apavarga (final liberation), making it coveted even by the devas.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the deities’ longing for human birth?

Parāśara indicates that devas, despite enjoying celestial status, seek rebirth as humans in Bhārata because liberation is most effectively pursued through embodied karma and dharma in this realm.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Implicitly, the verse frames cosmic hierarchy under divine order: worldly and heavenly attainments culminate in apavarga, ultimately aligned with Vishnu as the supreme ground of liberation in Vaishnava theology.