Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 35

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

कौङ्कणाः पञ्चनदका वामना ह्यवरास्तथा ।

तारक्षुरा ह्यङ्गतकाḥ कर्कराः शाल्मवेश्मकाः ॥

Transliteration

kauṅkaṇāḥ pañcanadakā vāmanā hy avarās tathā / tārakṣurā hy aṅgatakāḥ karkarāḥ śālmaveśmakāḥ

Translation

The Kauṅkaṇas, the Pañcanadakas, the Vāmanas, and likewise the Avaras; the Tārakṣuras, the Aṅgatakas, the Karkaras, and the Śālmaveśmakas are also enumerated there.

Word by Word

• कौङ्कणाः: Kauṅkaṇas (Konkan people)
• कौङ्कणाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौङ्कण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (जन/देश-नाम), प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• पञ्चनदकाः: Pañcanadakas (of the five-rivers region)
• पञ्चनदकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + नद (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (पञ्चनद-); तद्धितान्त -क; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वामनाः: Vāmanas
• वामनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (जन/जातिनाम), प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• अवराः: lower/younger (people)
• अवराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), समुच्चयार्थ (also/likewise)

• तारक्षुराः: Tārakṣuras (name)
• तारक्षुराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार + क्षुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधानार्थ (indeed)

• अङ्गतकाः: Aṅgatakas
• अङ्गतकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गत (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त -क; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कर्कराः: Karkaras
• कर्कराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शाल्मवेश्मकाः: Śālmaveśmakas (those of Śālmaveśma)
• शाल्मवेश्मकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्म + वेश्म (प्रातिपदिक) + क (तद्धित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शाल्मवेश्म-); तद्धितान्त -क; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speakers

• Frame not explicit in these verses (catalogue style within the Purāṇic narration)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmography
• Ethnography
• Regional lists

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text normalizes plurality within Bhārata: many communities are acknowledged as part of the same sacred landscape, supporting an inclusive civilizational memory.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna (regional arrangement), with incidental ethnographic preservation.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘body-map’ approach implies that diversity of peoples corresponds to differentiated functions of a single organismic cosmos.