Shloka 18
Jambūdvīpa Orientation: Meru-Centered Varṣas, Dvīpas, Kulaparvatas, Rivers, and Janapadas
माण्डव्याश्च तुषाराश्च मूलिकाश्वमुखाः खशाः / महाकेशा महानासा देशास्तूत्तरपश्चिमे
māṇḍavyāśca tuṣārāśca mūlikāśvamukhāḥ khaśāḥ / mahākeśā mahānāsā deśāstūttarapaścime
And the Māṇḍavyas, the Tuṣāras, the Mūlikas, the Aśvamukhas, and the Khaśas—along with the lands of the Mahākeśas and the Mahānāsas—are situated in the northwestern direction.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Dik-vibhāga—knowledge by classification; the world is intelligible through ordered enumeration.
Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa ordering: names as handles for navigating the manifest world.
Application: Reference for traditional cosmographic study; supports comparative historical geography and textual philology of ethnonyms.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: janapada/tribal regions (uttara-paścima dik)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.55.17–20 (continuous directional listing)
FAQs
This verse shows the Purana’s mapping of peoples and regions by direction, supporting its broader cosmological framework used to contextualize dharma, pilgrimage, and the world-order.
Although not about death-rites directly, the geographic cataloging forms part of the text’s cosmology—an underlying structure that later sections use when describing realms, routes, and moral order.
Use it as a reference for traditional Indic cosmology and cultural memory: study with humility, avoid stereotyping groups, and focus on the Purana’s intent—locating human communities within a larger moral and cosmic order.