Varaha Purana 75.4: Adhyaya 75, Shloka 4

Description of Jambūdvīpa: its regions, mountains, measurements, and cosmic structure

Pūrva Bhāga · Cosmology and Sacred Geography (Saptadvīpa-varṇana)

Devanagari script

सप्तद्वीपान् प्रवक्ष्यामि चन्द्रादित्यग्रहैः सह । येषां मनुष्यास्तर्केण प्रमाणानि प्रचक्षते ॥ ७५.४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 75.4

Transliteration

saptadvīpān pravakṣyāmi candrādityagrahaiḥ saha | yeṣāṃ manuṣyās tarkeṇa pramāṇāni pracakṣate || 75.4 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

मैं सात द्वीप बताता हूँ, और साथ में सूर्य और चन्द्र भी। लोग अपनी समझ से इनका नाप-तौल निकालते हैं।

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Word by Word

• सप्तद्वीपान्: the seven continents
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (सप्त संख्या-पूर्वकः)
• Role: कर्म (कर्म/Object)
• Root: सप्त + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• Type: Verb
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future/लृट्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)

• चन्द्रादित्यग्रहैः: with the planets such as the moon and the sun
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समाहार/निर्देश-तत्पुरुष (चन्द्रादित्यादयः ग्रहाः)
• Role: सह/साधन (Accompaniment/Instrument)
• Root: चन्द्र + आदित्य + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: सहकारक-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable: 'with')
• Role: सह (Accompaniment)
• Root: सह (अव्यय)

• येषाम्: of which/whose
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• मनुष्याः: people/humans
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• तर्केण: by reasoning
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन
• Role: करण (Instrument/Means)
• Root: तर्क (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रमाणानि: measures/standards
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), बहुवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Root: प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रचक्षते: declare/describe
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद
• Role: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Root: प्र + चक्ष् (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• चन्द्रादित्यग्रहैः = चन्द्र + आदित्य + ग्रहैः (समास; आ + अ not applicable due to compound formation)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasaSetting: Cosmographic-astronomical framework

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious

What she asks

What are the seven dvīpas and the associated lunar-solar bodies, and by what standards do humans claim to measure them?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemology (tarka within limits)

Subjects

CosmologyGeographyEpistemology

Core idea

Human reasoning can articulate measures, but it functions within a larger revealed cosmological order.

In practice

Use reason to clarify and systematize, while accepting scriptural cosmology as a guiding framework rather than purely empirical geography.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography
• Cosmological Taxonomy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It introduces a structured cosmographic account (the seven dvīpas) and frames it with an epistemic note on human reasoning (tarka) and standards of knowledge/measurement (pramāṇa), reflecting how Purāṇic texts often integrate cosmology with methods of description and verification.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single terrestrial location is named in this verse; it signals an upcoming description of the seven dvīpas, a Purāṇic cosmographic model rather than a directly mappable modern geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not present a direct ethical injunction; its philosophical instruction emphasizes careful articulation of cosmological knowledge using recognized standards (pramāṇas) and reasoning (tarka).