Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 17

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

Sanskrit

विदर्भा नारिकेलाश्च धर्मद्वीपास्तथैलिकाः ।

व्याघ्रग्रीवा महाग्रीवास्त्रैपुराः श्मश्रुधारिणः ॥

Transliteration

vidarbhā nārikelāś ca dharmadvīpās tathailikāḥ / vyāghragrīvā mahāgrīvās traipurāḥ śmaśrudhāriṇaḥ

Translation

Los Vidarbhas, los Nārikelas, los Dharmadvīpas y asimismo los Ailikas; los Vyāghragrīvas, los Mahāgrīvas y los Traipuras, portadores de barba.

Word by Word

• विदर्भाः: the Vidarbhas
• विदर्भाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• नारिकेलाः: the Nārikelas
• नारिकेलाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारिकेल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• धर्मद्वीपाः: the Dharmadvīpas
• धर्मद्वीपाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मद्वीप (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + द्वीप)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (धर्मस्य द्वीपः/धर्म-सम्बन्धी द्वीपः)

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थ (also)

• ऐलिकाः: the Ailikas
• ऐलिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐलिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• व्याघ्रग्रीवाः: those with tiger-like necks (Vyāghragrīvas)
• व्याघ्रग्रीवाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्रग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक; व्याघ्र + ग्रीव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (व्याघ्रस्य इव ग्रीवा येषां ते)

• महाग्रीवाः: those with great necks (Mahāgrīvas)
• महाग्रीवाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक; महा + ग्रीव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (महती ग्रीवा येषां ते)

• त्रैपुराः: the Traipuras (people of Tripura)
• त्रैपुराः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैपुर (प्रातिपदिक; त्रिपुर + अण्/सम्बन्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तद्धित-निर्मित (त्रिपुर-सम्बन्धिनः)

• श्मश्रुधारिणः: beard-wearers / those bearing moustaches/beards
• श्मश्रुधारिणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मश्रुधारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; श्मश्रु + धारिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (श्मश्रु धारयन्ति)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic exposition (speaker not specified in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Ethnographic cataloguing
• Regional names as descriptive epithets
• Cosmography

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text’s ‘ethnonyms-as-epithets’ (e.g., “tiger-necked”) show how Purāṇic geography blends observation, mythic imagination, and mnemonic naming.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna.

What is the esoteric significance?

Physical markers (like beards) can function as symbolic ‘signatures’ of direction/limb in the cosmic body—diversity becomes a coded map rather than mere anthropology.