Shloka 18

Adhyaya 57 — The Ninefold Divisions of Bharata: Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples

Sanskrit

विपाशा देविका रङ्क्षुर्निश्चीरा गण्डकी तथा ।

कौशिकी चापगा विप्र ! हिमवत्पादनिःसृताः ॥

Transliteration

vipāśā devikā raṅkṣur niścīrā gaṇḍakī tathā / kauśikī cāpagā vipra himavat-pāda-niḥsṛtāḥ

Translation

Vipāśā, Devikā, Raṅkṣu, Niścīrā und auch Gaṇḍakī; ferner Kauśikī und Āpagā—o Brāhmaṇa—dies sind Flüsse, die aus den Füßen (d. h. den Hängen) des Himavat hervorströmen.

Word by Word

• विपाशा: Vipasha (Beas)
• विपाशा: कर्ता (List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देविका: Devika
• देविका: कर्ता (List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देविका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रङ्क्षुः: Raṅkṣu
• रङ्क्षुः: कर्ता (List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रङ्क्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (river-name), प्रथमा, एकवचन; विसर्गान्त-रूप

• निश्चीरा: Niścīrā
• निश्चीरा: कर्ता (List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चीरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गण्डकी: Gaṇḍakī
• गण्डकी: कर्ता (List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थ (also)

• कौशिकी: Kauśikī
• कौशिकी: कर्ता (List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक

• अपगा: Apagā
• अपगा: कर्ता (List item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपगा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• हिमवत्-पाद-निःसृताः: issuing from the feet (slopes) of Himavat
• हिमवत्-पाद-निःसृताः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + निःसृत (कृदन्त; सृ धातोः क्त, नि: उपसर्ग)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Determinative: 'हिमवत्पादात् निःसृताः'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the rivers)

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided excerpt; direct address to a brāhmaṇa listener (vipra) indicates a teaching frame

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Geography
• Himalayan rivers
• Sacred landscape

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Himalaya is treated as a sanctifying source; dharma is grounded in origin-awareness—recognizing sources (mūla) fosters reverence and restraint in use.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Not a core pancalakṣaṇa narrative unit; rather a supporting geographic-tīrtha register that Purāṇas use to situate dharma in place.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘From Himavat’s feet’ suggests the descent of purity from the highest (śikhara) to the accessible world—like higher knowledge flowing into practical life.