Varaha Purana 78.1: Adhyaya 78, Shloka 1

Names of the Four Directional Mountain-Kings and Their Lakes

Rudra’s Geographical Description

Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography (Śailendra-varṇana)

Devanagari script

रुद्र उवाच । तथा चतुर्णां वक्ष्यामि शैलेन्द्राणां यथाक्रमम् । अनुविध्यानि रम्याणि विहङ्गैः कूजितानि च ॥ ७८.१ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 78.1

Transliteration

rudra uvāca | tathā caturṇāṁ vakṣyāmi śailendrāṇāṁ yathākramam | anuvidhyāni ramyāṇi vihaṅgaiḥ kūjitāni ca || 78.1 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

रुद्र बोले - मैं तुम्हे चार बड़े पहाड़ों के बारे में बताता हूँ, एक-एक करके। यह पहाड़ अच्छे हैं, पक्षी वहाँ गाते हैं।

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Word by Word

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (speaker/subject)
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: thus/so)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• चतुर्णाम्: of four
• Type: Adjective
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण
• Role: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

• वक्ष्यामि: I will describe/speak
• Type: Verb
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (main verb)
• Root: वच् (धातु)

• शैलेन्द्राणाम्: of the mountain-kings
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शैलस्य इन्द्रः = lord of mountains)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (genitive: of the mountain-lords)
• Root: शैल + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक-समास)

• यथा-क्रमम्: in due order
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थः = क्रमस्य अनुसारम्
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (manner)
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)

• अनुविध्यानि: following/connected (in succession)
• Type: Adjective
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participial adjective; -अन्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; अर्थः = following/connected (contextual)
• Role: विशेषण (of implied ‘शैलेन्द्राणि’/mountains)
• Root: अनु + विध्य (धातु) + अन (कृदन्त)

• रम्याणि: beautiful
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन
• Role: विशेषण
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)

• विहङ्गैः: by birds
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन
• Role: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Root: विहङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)

• कूजितानि: filled with chirping
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘कूजित’ = resounded/warbled
• Role: विशेषण
• Root: कूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय
• Root: च (अव्यय)

Sandhi Notes

• यथाक्रमम् = यथा + क्रमम् (अव्ययीभाव-समास)
• विहङ्गैः (विहङ्ग + भिस्/भिः इत्यादि रूप-निर्माण)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasa

Speaker

Rudra

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious, attentive (as listener to sacred-geographic narration)

What she asks

What are the principal mountain-lords and their ordered description, along with their pleasing ecological features?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Sacred-geography as dharmic memory

Subjects

GeographyHeritage SitesEcological Narratives

Core idea

Attentive hearing (śravaṇa) of tīrtha/kshetra descriptions refines perception—nature is read as a sacred text.

In practice

Cultivate reverent attention to landscapes (birds, ranges, tracts) as supports for contemplation and non-violence toward habitats.

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Literature
• Ancient Geography
• Ecological Aesthetics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It signals a structured catalogue of major mountain regions, reflecting Purāṇic methods of organizing sacred geography and environmental description for cultural memory.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific mountain is named in this verse; it functions as a transition introducing an ordered description of four principal “mountain lords” in the subsequent verses.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct injunction, the verse frames attentive description of landscapes and living soundscapes (birds), supporting an archival sensibility that values natural and cultural heritage.