Shloka 25

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

Sanskrit

करतोया महागौरी दुर्गा चान्तःशिरा तथा ।

(ऋक्ष) (विन्ध्य) पादप्रसूता स्ता नद्यः पुण्यजलाḥ शुभाḥ ॥

Transliteration

karatoyā mahāgaurī durgā cāntaḥśirā tathā / (ṛkṣa) (vindhya) pādaprasūtās tā nadyaḥ puṇyajalāḥ śubhāḥ

Translation

(Die Flüsse) Karatoyā, Mahāgaurī, Durgā, sowie Antaḥśirā—diese Flüsse, die man aus den Vorgebirgen (Ṛkṣa/Vindhya—Lesart unsicher) hervorgehen lässt, sind glückverheißend und führen heilige Wasser.

Word by Word

• करतोया: the river Karatoyā
• करतोया: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर + तोया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—करस्य तोया/कर-तोया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नदी-नाम

• महागौरी: the river Mahāgaurī
• महागौरी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + गौरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—महा गौरी (कर्मधारय); नदी-नाम

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

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

• अन्तःशिरा: the river Antaḥśirā
• अन्तःशिरा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तः + शिरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—अन्तः (अव्यय) + शिरा (कर्मधारय/अव्ययीभाव-प्राय); नदी-नाम

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

• ऋक्ष: of Ṛkṣa (mountain)
• ऋक्ष: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; पर्वत-नाम (inferred as compound member)

• विन्ध्य: of Vindhya
• विन्ध्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विन्ध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; पर्वत-नाम (inferred as compound member)

• पादप्रसूता: born from the foot (sprung from the mountain’s foot)
• पादप्रसूता: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाद + प्रसूता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—पादात् प्रसूताः (पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुष); विशेषण (agreeing with नद्यः)

• अस्त: are
• अस्त: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; ‘अस्ति’ इत्यस्य वैदिक/छान्दस-रूप ‘अस्त’

• नद्यः: rivers
• नद्यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृपद (subject plural)

• पुण्यजलाः: having holy waters
• पुण्यजलाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—पुण्यं जलं यस्याः/यासाम् (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि-प्राय; here adjectival); विशेषण (agreeing with नद्यः)

• शुभाः: auspicious
• शुभाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with नद्यः)

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided excerpt (catalogue conclusion tone: ‘puṇyajalāḥ śubhāḥ’)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Geography
• Sacred rivers
• Auspiciousness and purification
• Textual variants

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse explicitly frames these rivers as ‘puṇyajalāḥ śubhāḥ’: ethical life includes honoring and protecting what purifies and sustains society—water as sacred trust.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A tīrtha-geography catalogue: while outside the five core topics, it complements dharma by mapping sacred resources and pilgrimage networks.

What is the esoteric significance?

Calling waters ‘puṇya’ and ‘śubha’ points to the doctrine that purity is transmissible through contact—outer rites mirror inner transformation through sustained practice.