Shloka 28

भू-मण्डलसंक्षेपवर्णनम् — सप्तद्वीप-सप्तसमुद्राः, मेरु-मानम्, गङ्गावतरणम्, देववन-सरोवर-लोकपालपुर्यः

Devanagari script

शिखिवासाः सवैडूर्यः कपिलो गन्धमादनः जारुधिप्रमुखास् तद्वत् पश्चिमे केसराचलाः

Transliteration

śikhivāsāḥ savaiḍūryaḥ kapilo gandhamādanaḥ jārudhipramukhās tadvat paścime kesarācalāḥ

Translation

There are the mountains Śikhivāsa, Vaiḍūrya, Kapila, and Gandhamādana; and likewise those beginning with Jāruḍhi—so too, on the western side, rise the Kesarācalas.

Word by Word

• शिखिवासाः: Śikhivāsas (name/group)
• शिखिवासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखिवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; nominative plural (masc); समास: शिखिनः वासः/वासिनः (शिखि-सम्बन्धिनः)

• सवैडूर्यः: Sa-Vaidūrya (name)
• सवैडूर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + वैडूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular (masc); समास: स-वैडूर्य (with Vaidūrya)

• कपिलः: Kapila (name)
• कपिलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular (masc)

• गन्धमादनः: Gandhamādana (name)
• गन्धमादनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; nominative singular (masc)

• जारुधिप्रमुखाः: those headed by Jārudhi
• जारुधिप्रमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जारुधि + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; nominative plural (masc); समास: जारुधिः प्रमुखः येषां ते (headed by Jārudhi)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय/तुल्यवाचक)
• Form: अव्यय; तुल्यतासूचक (adverb: 'likewise')

• पश्चिमे: in the west
• पश्चिमे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; locative singular (masc) used adverbially

• केसराचलाः: the Kesarā mountains
• केसराचलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केसर + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; nominative plural (masc); समास: केसर-नामकाः अचलाः

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Meru’s western boundary ranges: the Kesarācalas and their named peaks

Teaching: Cosmological

Quality: authoritative

Cosmological Context

Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Narayana (cosmic)

Characters & Entities

• Parāśara
• Maitreya
• Śikhivāsa
• Vaiḍūrya
• Kapila
• Gandhamādana
• Jāruḍhi
• Kesarācalas

FAQs

What is the significance of listing mountains like Gandhamādana in the Vishnu Purana?

The mountain lists are part of the Purana’s cosmographic blueprint, showing that the world is arranged in ordered quarters and regions, reflecting a divinely sustained structure rather than randomness.

How does Sage Parāśara explain cosmography to Maitreya in this chapter?

Parāśara teaches by systematically naming regions and their boundary features—especially mountains and directional divisions—so Maitreya can grasp the world’s layout as a coherent, rule-governed system.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context of geography?

Even when the verse is descriptive, the underlying Purāṇic claim is that such order and stability in the cosmos depend upon Vishnu as the supreme sustaining reality who upholds the world’s measure and harmony.