Varaha Purana 86.49: Adhyaya 86, Shloka 49

Description of Śākadvīpa and Kuśadvīpa

Cosmographic Geography

Devanagari script

एताः प्रधानाः शेषाः क्षुद्रनद्यः ।

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 86.49

Transliteration

etāḥ pradhānāḥ śeṣāḥ kṣudranadyaḥ |

Translation

Dies sind die Hauptflüsse; die übrigen sind kleine Bäche.

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Word by Word

• etāḥ: these (f. pl.)
• etāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• pradhānāḥ: principal, main
• pradhānāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pradhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण (adjective)

• śeṣāḥ: remaining, other
• śeṣāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); विशेषण (adjective)

• kṣudra-nadyaḥ: small rivers/streams
• kṣudra-nadyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣudra (प्रातिपदिक) + nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), बहुवचन (plural); कर्मधारय-समास (descriptive compound)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Hydronymy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic archival practice: distinguishing major named rivers from unnamed minor tributaries, aiding textual geography studies.

Which geographic location is identified?

The context is Kuśadvīpa’s river system in Purāṇic cosmography rather than a directly mappable modern geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical instruction; it is a descriptive classification.