Shloka 5

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

नवधा संस्थितान्यस्य नक्षत्राणि समन्ततः ।

विषयाश्च द्विजश्रेष्ठ ये सम्यक् तान्निबोध मे ॥

Transliteration

navadhā saṃsthitāny asya nakṣatrāṇi samantataḥ | viṣayāś ca dvijaśreṣṭha ye samyak tān nibodha me ||

Translation

Rings um Ihn sind seine Nakṣatras in neunfacher Weise angeordnet. Und die Gebiete (viṣaya), o Bester der Zweimalgeborenen—erkenne von mir richtig, welche es sind.

Word by Word

• navadhā: in nine ways
• navadhā: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: navadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in nine ways)

• saṃsthitāni: situated/arranged
• saṃsthitāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (nakṣatrāṇi)

• asya: of this/of him
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• nakṣatrāṇi: constellations
• nakṣatrāṇi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• samantataḥ: all around
• samantataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), सर्वतः-अर्थे (on all sides/around)

• viṣayāḥ: regions/territories
• viṣayāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dvija-śreṣṭha: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-śreṣṭha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dvijānāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ye: which/who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• samyak: properly
• samyak: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), प्रकारार्थे (properly/correctly)

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• nibodha: understand/learn
• nibodha: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√budh (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• me: from me/to me
• me: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-एकवचन (Dative/Genitive singular enclitic)

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya to the inquirer

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Kūrma)

Key Themes

• Nakṣatra system
• Regional ethnography
• Cosmography

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse treats time (nakṣatra cycle) and space (regions) as correlated. The implied lesson is that human affairs are read against larger cycles; prudence involves recognizing patterned influences rather than acting as though life is isolated from cosmic rhythms.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sthiti—systematizing the world’s structure; additionally, it supports Purāṇic ‘adhikāra’ material used for calendrical/omenic reasoning.

What is the esoteric significance?

Ninefold division echoes completeness (navatva) in many Indic schemata. Esoterically, it can be read as a mandalic partitioning of the field of experience, with nakṣatras acting as ‘signatures’ through which karma’s fruits are interpreted.