Vamana Purana — Structure of Jambudvipa, Shloka 36

The Structure of Jambudvipa: Nine Varshas, Navadvipa Bharata, Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples

Devanagari script

वृकाः शबरकौवीराः सभूलिङ्गा जनास्त्विमे शकाश्चैव समशका मध्यदेश्य जनास्त्विमे

Transliteration

vṛkāḥ śabarakauvīrāḥ sabhūliṅgā janāstvime śakāścaiva samaśakā madhyadeśya janāstvime

Translation

«هؤلاء الأقوام هم فْرِكَة (Vṛka) وشَبَرة (Śabara) وكَوْفِيرة (Kauvīra) مع بُهُولِنْغَة (Bhūliṅga). وهؤلاء هم الشَّكَة (Śaka) والسَّمَشَكَة (Samaśaka) — وهم أقوام مَدهْيَدِيشَة (Madhyadeśa)، أي البلاد الوسطى»۔

Word by Word

• वृकाः: Vṛkas (a people/tribe)
• वृकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शबरकौवीराः: Śabaras and Kauvīras
• शबरकौवीराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शबर + कौवीर (प्रातिपदिक; समाहार/समुच्चयार्थे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative)

• सभूलिङ्गाः: with their distinctive marks/traits
• सभूलिङ्गाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + भू + लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (with/possessing)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/particle (emphasis/contrast)

• इमे: these
• इमे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• शकाः: Śakas
• शकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

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

• समशकाः: Samaśakas (a people)
• समशकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम + शक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative)

• मध्यदेश्याः: people of the Middle Country (Madhyadeśa)
• मध्यदेश्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यदेश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

• इमे: these
• इमे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speakers

• Primary dialogue framework in Vāmana Purāṇa is typically Pulastya → Nārada; specific speaker not explicit in given excerpt

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Ethnography
• Madhyadeśa
• Cultural Cartography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

By naming both ‘central’ (madhyadeśya) and peripheral groups, the text presents a unified civilizational field. The implied ethic is that dharma’s scope is not confined to one polity; sacred order encompasses varied communities.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is ancillary descriptive material (deśa/people catalogues) commonly embedded within Purāṇas. It does not directly serve sarga/pratisarga, but supports the Purāṇic aim of mapping the world inhabited by lineages and traditions.

What is the symbolic significance?

‘Madhyadeśa’ functions as a symbolic center of dharmic geography; the inclusion of Śakas/others reflects the Purāṇic habit of integrating historically visible groups into a cosmological narrative frame.