Shloka 18

मेरु-प्रमाणम्, सप्त-पाताल-वर्णनम्, तथा अनन्त-शेष-तत्त्वम्

Devanagari script

लाङ्गलासक्तहस्ताग्रो बिभ्रन् मुसलम् उत्तमम् उपास्यते स्वयं कान्त्या यो वारुण्या च मूर्तया

Transliteration

lāṅgalāsaktahastāgro bibhran musalam uttamam upāsyate svayaṃ kāntyā yo vāruṇyā ca mūrtayā

Translation

Đầu bàn tay đặt trên lưỡi cày, mang chày pestle tối thượng làm vũ khí, Ngài được thờ phụng bởi chính hào quang của mình; và còn được tôn thờ trong hình tướng Vāruṇī—bản thể thủy tính, sinh từ đại dương.

Word by Word

• लाङ्गलासक्तहस्ताग्रः: whose hand-tip is attached to a plough
• लाङ्गलासक्तहस्ताग्रः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लाङ्गल + आसक्त + हस्त + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; आसक्त = सञ्ज्-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—लाङ्गले आसक्तः हस्ताग्रः यस्य

• बिभ्रन्: bearing
• बिभ्रन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मुसलम्: a mace/club
• मुसलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुसल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (मुसलम्)

• उपास्यते: is worshipped
• उपास्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आस् (धातु; उपासते)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्वयम्: personally, by oneself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वातन्त्र्य/स्वकृत्यवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• कान्त्या: by (his) radiance/beauty
• कान्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• वारुण्या: Varuṇa-related, watery
• वारुण्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (मूर्तया)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• मूर्तया: by (his) form/embodiment
• मूर्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography and the beings supporting the worlds (context of Bhū-maṇḍala description)

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The same divine principle is worshipped through multiple forms and manifestations—radiant self-effulgence and specific mūrti-forms—without division of sovereignty.

Vedantic Theme: Brahman

Application: Adopt iṣṭa-devatā devotion while honoring other authentic forms as expressions of the one Lord; let worship be inclusive rather than sectarian.

Vishishtadvaita: Unity-in-plurality: one Supreme with real attributes and modes (prakāra), approachable through diverse mūrti-manifestations.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Vasudeva (devotional)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Vyuha Form: Sankarshana

Characters & Entities

• Balarama (Halāyudha)
• Vāruṇī

FAQs

What is the significance of the plough and pestle in this verse of the Vishnu Purana?

They identify Balarāma (Halāyudha): the plough symbolizes ordering and stabilizing the world, while the pestle marks divine strength used to uphold dharma.

How does Sage Parāśara explain worship through radiance and form here?

He indicates that the divine can be approached both as self-luminous splendour (kānti) and as a concrete embodiment (mūrti), showing layered modes of devotion.

What is the theological importance of Vishnu in this context?

Even within dynastic history, divine sovereignty appears through avatāric presence and worship—supporting the Vaishnava view that the Supreme is accessible in manifest forms while remaining transcendent.