Varaha Purana 77.2: Adhyaya 77, Shloka 2

Measurements of Mount Meru, the Boundary Mountains, and the Four Directional Great Trees

Pūrva Bhāga · Cosmology and Sacred Geography (Meru and the Mountain-World)

Devanagari script

चत्वारिंशत् तथा चाष्टौ सहस्राणि तु मण्डलैः । शैलराजस्य तत्तत्र मेरुमूलमिति स्मृतम् ॥ ७७.२ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 77.2

Transliteration

catvāriṁśat tathā cāṣṭau sahasrāṇi tu maṇḍalaiḥ | śailarājasya tattatra merumūlam iti smṛtam || 77.2 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

يوجد ثمانيةٌ وأربعون ألفًا (وحدة)، تُقاس بتقسيماتٍ دائرية تُسمّى مَنْدَلا (maṇḍala). وتلك الناحية، التابعة لملك الجبال، تُذكَر في المأثور على أنها «جذر ميرو».

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Word by Word

• चत्वारिंशत्: forty
• Type: Adjective
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (used with नपुंसक plural count)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (प्रातिपदिक)

• तथा: also/thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'thus/also')
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

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

• अष्टौ: eight
• Type: Adjective
• Form: संख्या-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, बहुवचन (numeral 'eight')
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: तु (अव्यय)

• मण्डलैः: by/with circles (zones/regions)
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)

• शैलराजस्य: of the king of mountains
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): शैलस्य राजा
• Role: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Root: शैलराज (प्रातिपदिक: शैल + राज)

• तत्: that (it)
• Type: Noun
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: 'there')
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• मेरुमूलम्: the root/base of Meru
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): मेरॊः मूलम्
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: मेरुमूल (प्रातिपदिक: मेरु + मूल)

• इति: thus/so called
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: इति (अव्यय)

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/considered
• Type: Verb
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense: 'is remembered/called')
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• चाष्टौ = च + अष्टौ
• मेरुमूलमिति = मेरुमूलम् + इति
• तत्तत्र = तत् + तत्र (sandhi with gemination)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Cosmic-geographic measurement zone

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Order/measure as sacred knowledge

Subjects

CosmologyGeographyHeritage Sites

Core idea

Sacred geography is not random: it is ‘remembered’ (smṛta) through traditional measures and circular divisions, indicating a transmitted cosmological order.

In practice

Approach tradition with śraddhā and discernment: learn the ‘maps’ (conceptual frameworks) that order experience; use mandala thinking to structure ritual space and meditation.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmography
• Ancient Geography
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies Purāṇic cosmography by presenting quantified spatial description (in thousands and by maṇḍalas), reflecting how premodern Sanskrit texts systematized sacred geography through enumerative measures.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse identifies “Merumūla” (the root/base of Mount Meru), a cosmological locus rather than a securely mappable terrestrial site; in scholarship it is treated as part of the Purāṇic world-model centered on Meru.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical injunction is stated; the passage primarily transmits a traditional classification of sacred-cosmological space, contributing indirectly to cultural heritage mapping and the conceptual ordering of the world.