Shloka 10

भारतवर्षमहात्म्यम् — कर्मभूमित्वम्, नवभेदाः, कुलपर्वताः-नद्यः-जनपदाः, युगचक्रविशेषः, यज्ञपुरुषविष्णुपूजा

Devanagari script

शतद्रूचन्द्रभागाद्या हिमवत्पादनिःसृताः वेदस्मृतिमुखाश् चान्याः पारियात्रोद्भवा मुने

Transliteration

śatadrūcandrabhāgādyā himavatpādaniḥsṛtāḥ vedasmṛtimukhāś cānyāḥ pāriyātrodbhavā mune

Translation

O Weiser, die Śatadrū und die Candrabhāgā und noch andere entspringen den Füßen des Himavat; und aus dem Pāriyātra-Gebirge gehen weitere Flüsse hervor, unter denen Veda und Smṛti als die vornehmsten genannt werden.

Word by Word

• शतद्रू-चन्द्रभाग-आद्याः: (rivers) such as Shatadru and Chandrabhaga
• शतद्रू-चन्द्रभाग-आद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतद्रू (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्द्रभागा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (नदी-नामसमुच्चय) + आद्य (etc.)

• हिमवत्-पाद-निःसृताः: issuing from the foot of Himavat
• हिमवत्-पाद-निःसृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + निःसृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हिमवत्पादात् निःसृताः)

• वेद-स्मृति-मुखाः: (rivers) such as Veda and Smriti (etc.)
• वेद-स्मृति-मुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + स्मृति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (वेद-स्मृति-आदि-नामसमुच्चय)

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

• अन्याः: others
• अन्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पारियात्र-उद्भवाः: arising from (mount) Pariyatra
• पारियात्र-उद्भवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारियात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पारियात्रात् उद्भवाः)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (speaking to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Sacred geography of Bhārata-varṣa—mountains and the rivers issuing from them.

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: descriptive

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Varshas

Vaishnava Theology

Bhakti Type: Shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Himavat (Himalaya)
• Pāriyātra mountain
• Śatadrū (Sutlej)
• Candrabhāgā (Chenab)
• Veda (river)
• Smṛti (river)

FAQs

What is the significance of listing rivers and mountains in the Vishnu Purana?

This verse uses sacred geography—mountain ranges and their river-sources—to portray the world as an ordered, dharma-sustaining realm, where rivers become carriers of life, purity, and pilgrimage tradition.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the origin of major rivers here?

Parāśara identifies specific rivers (like Śatadrū and Candrabhāgā) as originating from Himavat, and others (such as Veda and Smṛti) as arising from the Pāriyātra range, presenting a structured map of river lineages by mountain source.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this geographic description?

Even when describing rivers, the Purāṇa’s underlying frame is that cosmic order is upheld by the Supreme (Vishnu); the stability of mountains and the flow of rivers implicitly reflect His sustaining sovereignty over the world.