Shloka 21

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

Sanskrit

शोणो महानदश्चैव नर्मदा सुरथाद्रिजा ।

मन्दाकिनी दशार्णा च चित्रकूटा तथापरा ॥

Transliteration

śoṇo mahānadaś caiva narmadā surathādrijā / mandākinī daśārṇā ca citrakūṭā tathāparā

Translation

(Die Flüsse) Śoṇa, Mahānadā, Narmadā, Surathādrijā; Mandākinī, Daśārṇā, ferner Citrakūṭā und andere.

Word by Word

• शोणः: the river Śoṇa
• शोणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नदी-नाम (proper name)

• महानदः: the river Mahānada
• महानदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—महान् + नदः (कर्मधारय)

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• नर्मदा: the river Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• सुरथाद्रिजा: Surathādrijā (river born from Surathā mountain)
• सुरथाद्रिजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरथा + अद्रि + जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—सुरथायाः अद्रेः जा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• मन्दाकिनी: the river Mandākinī
• मन्दाकिनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दाकिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• दशार्णा: the river Daśārṇā
• दशार्णा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशार्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

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

• चित्रकूटा: the river Citrakūṭā
• चित्रकूटा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रकूटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise’)

• अपरā: another (river)
• अपरā: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided excerpt (catalogue continues)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Geography
• Sacred rivers
• Regional identifiers

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

By treating rivers as worthy of recitation, the text turns knowledge into devotion (jñāna→bhakti), encouraging gratitude toward life-sustaining waters.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Auxiliary descriptive register; often accompanies dharma and tīrtha sections rather than creation or dynastic accounts.

What is the esoteric significance?

Great rivers like Narmadā and Śoṇa stand for major channels of prāṇa; remembering them is a meditative ‘mapping’ of sacred flow.