Shloka 14
Bhāratavarṣa–Navabheda-Vyavasthā
The Nine Divisions of Bhāratavarṣa and Its Sacred Geography
नानाजनपदास्तेषु मंडलेषु वसन्ति वै । आसां पिबंति पानीयं सरत्सु विविधेषु च
nānājanapadāsteṣu maṃḍaleṣu vasanti vai | āsāṃ pibaṃti pānīyaṃ saratsu vividheṣu ca
તે પ્રદેશોના મંડળોમાં અનેક જનપદોના લોકો ખરેખર વસે છે; અને ત્યાંના વિવિધ સરોવરોમાંથી તેઓ જળ પીએ છે।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it describes human settlement and dependence on lakes—an image of loka-sthiti (ordered sustaining of life) within Bhārata’s sacred ecology.
Significance: Frames water-bodies (sarasi/sarāṃsi) as life-sustaining and ritually usable; in Purāṇic practice, lakes become sites for snāna, tarpaṇa, and preparatory purity for temple worship.
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It highlights sacred geography: diverse peoples gather and live around holy regions sustained by pure waters, implying a tirtha-like setting where life is supported and purified in proximity to Shiva’s sacred domain.
By portraying a sanctified landscape where communities settle and draw water, the verse supports the Purana’s theme that Saguna Shiva’s presence sanctifies places—often expressed through temples and Lingas that make a region spiritually nourishing.
A practical takeaway is tirtha-sevana: approaching sacred waters with purity, offering water (jala) in Shiva worship, and maintaining inner and outer cleanliness while remembering Shiva (e.g., with the Panchakshara mantra).