Shloka 46

वाराहावतारः (भूम्युद्धारः) — Varāha, the Raising of the Earth and the Recommencement of Creation

Devanagari script

तस्योपरि जलौघस्य महती नौर् इव स्थिता विततत्वात् तु देहस्य न मही याति संप्लवम्

Transliteration

tasyopari jalaughasya mahatī naur iva sthitā vitatatvāt tu dehasya na mahī yāti saṃplavam

Translation

اس عظیم پانی کے ریلا پر بڑی زمین گویا ایک عظیم کشتی کی طرح ٹھہری رہی۔ اور اس کے جسم کے بے حد پھیلاؤ کے سبب زمین طوفانی سیلاب میں نہیں ڈوبتی؛ وہ تھامی رہتی ہے اور غرقاب نہیں ہوتی۔

Word by Word

• तस्य: of it; of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• उपरि: above; upon
• उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-उपसर्गसदृशम्/अव्यय (preposition/adverb: above)

• जलौघस्य: of the flood of water
• जलौघस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य ओघः)

• महती: great; huge
• महती: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नौः)

• नौः: a boat
• नौः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इव: like
• इव: Upamana (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक-निपातः (particle of comparison)

• स्थिता: stood; remained
• स्थिता: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (having stood/being situated)

• विततत्वात्: because of the expansiveness
• विततत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + तत (√तन् + क्त) + त्व (भावप्रत्यय) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कारणवाचकः (because of being spread out)

• तु: however; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपातः

• देहस्य: of the body
• देहस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थक-निपातः (negation)

• मही: the earth
• मही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• याति: goes; comes to
• याति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संप्लवम्: submergence; inundation
• संप्लवम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + प्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Explanation of how the Earth remains afloat and does not sink into the deluge.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: revealing

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Secondary

Avatara Context

Avatara: Varaha

Purpose: To uphold the Earth upon the waters through His immeasurable body so she does not sink during the flood-like condition.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Continuity of terrestrial order against cosmic inundation, allowing beings to inhabit and perform dharma.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Earth’s stability amid inundation depends on the Lord’s immeasurable, all-supporting embodiment that sustains the world from within and without.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Practice seeing life’s ‘floods’ as held by the divine support—steady sādhanā (japa, dhyāna, dharma) rather than panic.

Vishishtadvaita: World-as-supported reality: the Lord’s expansive ‘body’ upholding Bhūmi mirrors the Viśiṣṭādvaita śarīra-śarīrī relation (jagat as His body; He as inner ruler).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana

Lakshmi Presence: Bhumi

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Earth (Mahī)
• Cosmic Waters (Jalaugha)

FAQs

What is the significance of the Earth being compared to a ship in the Vishnu Purana?

The simile conveys that the Earth remains afloat and stable amid the cosmic waters because it is supported by the Divine foundation—Vishnu’s sustaining presence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the Earth’s stability during cosmic inundation (saṃplava)?

He teaches that the Earth does not sink into the deluge because the Lord’s body is vitata—immeasurably spread out and all-supporting—serving as the cosmic basis that prevents submergence.

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

Vishnu is presented as the Supreme sustaining Reality: not merely a deity within the cosmos, but the underlying support by which creation remains ordered and preserved even amid overwhelming waters.