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Shloka 8

दक्षिणा-दिक्, पितृपक्ष-प्रतिष्ठा, तथा कर्मगतिः — Suparṇa’s Cosmographic Instruction

एतस्मात्‌ कारणाद्‌ ब्रह्मन्‌ पूर्वेत्येषा दिगुच्यते । यस्मात्‌ पूर्वतरे काले पूर्वमेवावृता सुरै:

etasmāt kāraṇād brahman pūrvety eṣā dig ucyate | yasmāt pūrvatara-kāle pūrvam evāvṛtā suraiḥ ||

হে ব্ৰাহ্মণ! এই কাৰণতেই এই দিশাক ‘পূৰ্ব’ বুলি কোৱা হয়; কিয়নো অতি প্ৰাচীন কালত দেৱতাসকলেই ইয়াক সৰ্বপ্ৰথম আৱৃত কৰি নিজৰ অধিকাৰত আনিছিল।

एतस्मात्from this
एतस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
Formmasculine/neuter, ablative, singular
कारणात्from the reason/cause
कारणात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootकारण
Formneuter, ablative, singular
ब्रह्मन्O Brahmin
ब्रह्मन्:
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मन्
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
पूर्वाeastern (direction)
पूर्वा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्व
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
इतिthus/so (quotative)
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
एषाthis
एषा:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
दिक्direction
दिक्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदिश्
Formfeminine, nominative, singular
उच्यतेis called
उच्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
Formpresent, passive, third, singular
यस्मात्because/from which
यस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
Formmasculine/neuter, ablative, singular
पूर्वतरेin an earlier (more former)
पूर्वतरे:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootपूर्वतर
Formmasculine/neuter, locative, singular
कालेin time/at a time
काले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकाल
Formmasculine, locative, singular
पूर्वम्before/first
पूर्वम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपूर्व
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
आवृताwas covered/occupied
आवृता:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-वृ (वृञ्)
Formfeminine, nominative, singular, क्त (past passive participle)
सुरैःby the gods
सुरैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसुर
Formmasculine, instrumental, plural

युपर्ण उवाच

युपर्ण (Yuparṇa)
ब्रह्मन् (a Brahmin addressee)
पूर्वा दिक् (the eastern direction)
सुराः (the gods/devas)

Educational Q&A

The verse offers an etymological-cosmological rationale: the East is termed ‘pūrvā’ because it is regarded as the ‘first/foremost’ direction, associated with primordial divine precedence. It reflects how sacred language links naming to perceived cosmic order and divine authority.

Yuparṇa addresses a Brahmin and explains why the eastern quarter is called ‘pūrvā’. He grounds the name in an ancient account that the gods first encompassed or claimed that direction, establishing its primacy.