Vamana Purana — Structure of Jambudvipa, Shloka 20

The Structure of Jambudvipa: Nine Varshas, Navadvipa Bharata, Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples

Devanagari script

सरस्वती पञ्चरूपा कालिन्दी सहिरण्वती शतद्रुश्चन्द्रिका नीला वितस्तैरावती कुहूः

Transliteration

sarasvatī pañcarūpā kālindī sahiraṇvatī śatadruścandrikā nīlā vitastairāvatī kuhūḥ

Translation

Les rivières nommées sont : Sarasvatī aux cinq formes ; Kālindī ; Sahiraṇvatī ; Śatadru ; Candrikā ; Nīlā ; Vitastā ; Airāvatī ; et Kuhū.

Word by Word

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river)
• सरस्वती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पञ्चरूपा: five-formed
• पञ्चरूपा: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (सरस्वती); समासः—द्विगु (पञ्च रूपाणि यस्याः)

• कालिन्दी: Kālindī (Yamunā)
• कालिन्दी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिन्दी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सहिरण्वती: Sahiraṇvatī (river)
• सहिरण्वती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहिरण्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शतद्रुः: Śatadru (Sutlej)
• शतद्रुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतद्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चन्द्रिका: Candrikā (river)
• चन्द्रिका: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नीला: Nīlā (river)
• नीला: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वितस्ता: Vitastā (Jhelum)
• वितस्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितस्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ऐरावती: Airāvatī (river)
• ऐरावती: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुहूः: Kuhū (river/name)
• कुहूः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुहू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speakers

• Pulastya to Nārada (standard frame; not explicit in input)

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• River Sanctity

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Naming rivers functions as a dhārmic map: remembrance (smaraṇa) of sacred waters is itself meritorious in many purāṇic contexts, encouraging reverence for life-sustaining and purifying natural forces.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

This is ancillary sacred geography (kṣetra/tīrtha description), not a core pañcalakṣaṇa unit; it supports dharma by guiding pilgrimage and sacralizing the landscape.

What is the symbolic significance?

Sarasvatī as ‘five-formed’ symbolizes multiplicity within unity—one sacred principle manifesting in several channels—mirroring a purāṇic tendency to view the cosmos as a single sacred reality expressed through many forms.