Shloka 53

सप्तद्वीप-समुद्र-प्रमाणम्: प्लक्षादि-द्वीपवर्णनं, लोकालोक-सीमा, चन्द्र-समुद्र-वृद्धिक्षयः

Devanagari script

पुष्कराः पुष्कला धन्यास् तिष्याख्याश् च महामुने ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश् चानुक्रमोदिताः

Transliteration

puṣkarāḥ puṣkalā dhanyās tiṣyākhyāś ca mahāmune brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyā vaiśyāḥ śūdrāś cānukramoditāḥ

Translation

Hỡi bậc đại hiền, các nhóm gọi là Puṣkara, Puṣkala, Dhanya và Tiṣya đã được nêu; và theo thứ tự cũng tuyên bày bốn varṇa—Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya và Śūdra—mỗi bậc sinh khởi trong khuôn phép đã định của thế gian.

Word by Word

• पुष्कराः: Puṣkaras
• पुष्कराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषनाम (varṣa-name/people-name)

• पुष्कलाः: Puṣkalas
• पुष्कलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषनाम

• धन्याः: Dhanyas
• धन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषनाम

• तिष्याख्याः: those called Tiṣyākhyas
• तिष्याख्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिष्य-आख्य (प्रातिपदिक: तिष्य + आख्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषनाम (named Tiṣya)

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

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामुनि (प्रातिपदिक: महा + मुनि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• क्षत्रियाः: Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• वैश्याः: Vaiśyas
• वैश्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शूद्राः: Śūdras
• शूद्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• अनुक्रमोदिताः: mentioned in sequence
• अनुक्रमोदिताः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुक्रम-उदित (प्रातिपदिक: अनुक्रम + उदित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) उदित = ‘said/mentioned’; अनुक्रमेण उदिताः = ‘mentioned in order’

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (in discourse to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Peoples/classes in the varṣas and the ordered emergence of the four varṇas

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Social order (varṇa) is presented as an ‘anukrama’—a regulated sequence within the world’s ordained pattern.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Honor one’s duties with integrity while respecting the complementary roles of others, aiming at harmony rather than rivalry.

Vishishtadvaita: Dharma is a mode of serving the Lord; differentiated functions can coexist within unity as parts of the divine body (śarīra-śarīrī-bhāva).

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman

Characters & Entities

• Puṣkara
• Puṣkala
• Dhanya
• Tiṣya
• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya

FAQs

What is the significance of ‘anukrama’ (sequence) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

It emphasizes that beings and social orders are presented as part of an arranged cosmic pattern—an ordered enumeration rather than a random origin—supporting the Purana’s theme of universal governance.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the appearance of the four varnas here?

He lists them as ‘anukramoditāḥ’—declared in sequence—within a broader catalog of groups, indicating that social categories are integrated into the Purana’s creation/ordering narrative.

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

Even when Vishnu is not named in the verse, the passage functions within the Vishnu Purana’s worldview where the Supreme Sustainer underwrites order (dharma) and structure in creation.