Vamana Purana — Structure of Jambudvipa, Shloka 21

The Structure of Jambudvipa: Nine Varshas, Navadvipa Bharata, Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples

Devanagari script

मधुरा हाररावी च उशीरा धातुकी रसा गोमती धूतपापा च बाहुदा सदृषद्वती

Transliteration

madhurā hārarāvī ca uśīrā dhātukī rasā gomatī dhūtapāpā ca bāhudā sadṛṣadvatī

Translation

Madhurā, Hārarāvī, Uśīrā, Dhātukī, Rasā, Gomatī, Dhūtapāpā, Bāhudā und Sadṛṣadvatī.

Word by Word

• मधुरा: Madhurā (river name)
• मधुरा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हाररावी: Hārarāvī (river name)
• हाररावी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हाररावी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उशीरा: Uśīrā (river name)
• उशीरा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उशीरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धातुकी: Dhātukī (river name)
• धातुकी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातुकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रसा: Rasā (river name)
• रसा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गोमती: Gomatī (river name)
• गोमती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धूतपापा: Dhūtapāpā (she whose sins are washed away; river name)
• धूतपापा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धूत (धूञ्/धू धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त) + पापा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्यभाव)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• बाहुदा: Bāhudā (river name)
• बाहुदा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहुदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदृषद्वती: Sadṛṣadvatī (river name)
• सदृषद्वती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदृषद्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (standard frame; not explicit in input)

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Purification (pāpa-kṣaya) via sacred waters

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Rivers are presented not merely as physical geography but as moral-spiritual resources—especially signaled by names like Dhūtapāpā (‘washer of sin’), encouraging purity of conduct alongside ritual purification.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

It is part of the purāṇic tīrtha-māhātmya function (supporting dharma through place-based sanctity), outside the strict five-lakṣaṇa framework.

What is the symbolic significance?

The semantic content of several names (e.g., Madhurā ‘sweet’, Bāhudā ‘abundant-giver’, Dhūtapāpā ‘sin-cleansing’) encodes a theology of nature: the landscape is read as ethically meaningful and spiritually efficacious.