Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 37

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

Sanskrit

एकेक्षणा वाजिकेशा दीर्घग्रीवाः सचूलिकाः ।

अश्वकेशास्तथा पुच्छे जनाḥ कूर्मस्य संस्थिताः ॥

Transliteration

ekekṣaṇā vājikeśā dīrghagrīvāḥ sacūlikāḥ / aśvakeśās tathā pucche janāḥ kūrmasya saṃsthitāḥ

Translation

The Ekekṣaṇas, the Vājikeśas, the Dīrghagrīvas, the Sacūlikas, and the Aśvakeśas—these peoples are said to be situated at the tail of the (cosmic) Tortoise.

Word by Word

• एकेक्षणाः: Ekekṣaṇas (one-eyed; name)
• एकेक्षणाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषाम् ईक्षणम् एकम्/एकाक्षिणः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वाजिकेशाः: Vājikeśas (horse-haired; name)
• वाजिकेशाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्/वाजि + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां केशाः वाजिसदृशाः/वाजिनः इव); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दीर्घग्रीवाः: Dīrghagrīvas (long-necked; name)
• दीर्घग्रीवाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां ग्रीवा दीर्घा); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सचूलिकाः: Sacūlikas (with topknots; name)
• सचूलिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + चूलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि/सह-समास (येषां चूलिका अस्ति/चूलिकासहिताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अश्वकेशाः: Aśvakeśas (horse-haired; name)
• अश्वकेशाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां केशाः अश्वसदृशाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

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

• पुच्छे: in the tail
• पुच्छे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कूर्मस्य: of the tortoise
• कूर्मस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• संस्थिताः: are positioned/are situated
• संस्थिताः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicative)

Speakers

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

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmography
• Mythic body-mapping
• Ethnographic taxonomy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The ‘tail of the tortoise’ imagery teaches a holistic worldview: even distant or unfamiliar peoples are given a defined place within the cosmic order.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna (world-structure). The bodily metaphor is a cosmographic device rather than a narrative of sarga/pratisarga.

What is the esoteric significance?

The Kūrma-body suggests that spatial peripheries (‘tail’) correspond to liminal zones—often home to ‘marvelous’ or stylized ethnonyms—marking boundaries of the known world.