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Shloka 18

Devanagari script

आताम्रा हिमशैलजाश्च शशिभा वेण्वातटीयाः स्मृताः सौवीरे त्वसिताब्जमेघसदृशास्ताभ्राश्च सौराष्ट्रजाः / कालिङ्गाः कन कावदातरुचिराः पीतप्रभाः कोसले श्यामाः पुण्ड्रभवा मतङ्गविषये नात्यन्तपीतप्रभाः

Transliteration

ātāmrā himaśailajāśca śaśibhā veṇvātaṭīyāḥ smṛtāḥ sauvīre tvasitābjameghasadṛśāstābhrāśca saurāṣṭrajāḥ / kāliṅgāḥ kana kāvadātarucirāḥ pītaprabhāḥ kosale śyāmāḥ puṇḍrabhavā mataṅgaviṣaye nātyantapītaprabhāḥ

Translation

Those born in the Himālaya regions are reddish-brown; those of the Veṇvā river-banks are remembered as moon-like in complexion. In Sauvīra they resemble dark clouds and blue lotuses, while those born in Saurāṣṭra are tawny. The Kaliṅgas are pleasing, bright as gold; in Kosala they are yellow-hued. Those from Puṇḍra are dark-complexioned, and in the Mataṅga country the yellow radiance is not excessive.

Word by Word
आताम्राःcoppery/reddish
आताम्राः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootआताम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural; adjective)
हिमof snow
हिम:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootहिम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Masculine, Genitive singular; prior member)
शैलmountain
शैल:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootशैल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; हिम-शैल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) (Masculine, Genitive singular; in compound)
जाःborn from
जाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootज (धातु) + घञ्/क्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘ज’)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘ज’ = उत्पन्न (born from) (Masculine, Nominative plural; born-from)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)
शशिभाःmoon-bright
शशिभाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootशशि + भा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; शशि-भा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) = चन्द्रप्रभासदृश (Masculine, Nominative plural; moon-lustrous)
वेणुof Veṇu
वेणु:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootवेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Genitive singular; prior member)
आतटीयाःbelonging to Veṇu’s bank
आतटीयाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootआतटीय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; वेणु-आतटीय (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) (Masculine, Nominative plural)
स्मृताःare said/remembered
स्मृताः:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘are said/remembered’ (Past passive participle; nominative plural)
सौवीरेin Sauvīra
सौवीरे:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसौवीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Locative singular)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: but/indeed)
असितdark/black
असित:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootअसित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)
अब्जlotus
अब्ज:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअब्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Neuter, Genitive singular; prior member)
मेघcloud
मेघ:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootमेघ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; असित-अब्ज-मेघ (समाहार/तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला) (Masculine, Genitive singular; in compound chain)
सदृशाःresembling
सदृशाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; असिताब्जमेघ-सदृश (तत्पुरुष) (Masculine, Nominative plural)
ताभ्राःcoppery/reddish-brown
ताभ्राः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootताभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)
सौराष्ट्रजाःborn in/from Saurāṣṭra
सौराष्ट्रजाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसौराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सौराष्ट्र-ज (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) = सौराष्ट्रात् उत्पन्नाः (Masculine, Nominative plural)
कालिङ्गाःKāliṅgas
कालिङ्गाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकालिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)
कनgolden/yellowish (kanaka-like)
कन:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootकन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; वर्णविशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural; color-adjective)
कावदातwhitish/pale
कावदात:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootकावदात (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)
रुचिराःbeautiful/pleasing
रुचिराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootरुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)
पीतyellow
पीत:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootपीत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)
प्रभाःhaving luster
प्रभाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; पीत-प्रभ (कर्मधारय) = पीतप्रभायुक्ताः (Masculine, Nominative plural)
कोसलेin Kosala
कोसले:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootकोसल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन (Locative singular)
श्यामाःdark/greenish-black
श्यामाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्याम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)
पुण्ड्रof Puṇḍra
पुण्ड्र:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootपुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Genitive singular; prior member)
भवाःoriginating in Puṇḍra
भवाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootभू (धातु) + क्त/अ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक ‘भव’)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; पुण्ड्र-भव (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) = पुण्ड्रदेशसम्भवाः (Masculine, Nominative plural)
मतङ्गof Mataṅga
मतङ्ग:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootमतङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Genitive singular; prior member)
विषयेin the Mataṅga region
विषये:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootविषय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; मतङ्ग-विषय (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) (Locative singular)
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negation particle)
अत्यन्तexcessively
अत्यन्त:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्यन्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययम्; परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (indeclinable adverb: extremely)
पीतyellow
पीत:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootपीत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)
प्रभाःyellow-lustrous
प्रभाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; पीत-प्रभ (कर्मधारय) (Masculine, Nominative plural)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Lakṣaṇa-jñāna: inference from observable qualities (complexion/tejas) tied to place of origin.

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa and upādhi: outward attributes vary with conditioning factors; encourages discernment without absolutizing externals.

Application: In gem/people-description contexts, use careful, non-binary qualifiers (e.g., ‘not excessively’) and compare with stable visual referents (moon, cloud, lotus) for consistent identification.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: mountain region, riverine tract, janapadas

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.68.17 (eight domains); Garuda Purana 1.68.19 (vajra-lakṣaṇa); Garuda Purana 1.68.21 (deva-color correspondences)

Characters & Entities
H
Himashaila (Himalaya region)
V
Veṇvā (river/riverbank region)
S
Sauvīra
S
Saurāṣṭra
K
Kaliṅga
K
Kosala
P
Puṇḍra
M
Mataṅga (region)

FAQs

This verse catalogs regional populations (Himālaya, Veṇvā banks, Sauvīra, Saurāṣṭra, Kaliṅga, Kosala, Puṇḍra, Mataṅga) and describes their typical complexions/appearance as a traditional geographic-ethnographic note.

Within the instructional dialogue, Vishnu provides descriptive classifications of regions and their characteristics; this shloka specifically focuses on outward traits rather than afterlife rites or punishments.

Read it as a historical-cultural snapshot of how regions were described in classical literature, encouraging careful contextual study of Purāṇic geography rather than using it for modern judgments.

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