Varaha Purana 82.24: Adhyaya 82, Shloka 24
The Descent of the Rivers: The Sky-Gaṅgā and Her Fourfold Division
Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Geography (Major rivers list)
तद्यथा सीता सुवाहिनी हंसवती कासा महाचक्रा चन्द्रवती कावेरी सुरसा शाखावती इन्द्रवती अङ्गारवाहिनी हरितोया सोमावर्ता शतह्रदा वनमाला वसुमती हंसा सुपर्णा पञ्चगङ्गा धनुष्मती मणिवप्रा सुब्रह्मभागा विलासिनी कृष्णतोया पुण्योदा नागवती शिवा शेवालिनी मणितटा क्षीरोदा वरुणावती विष्णुपदी महानदी हिरण्यस्कन्धवाहा सुरावती कामोदा पताकाश्चेत्येता महानद्यः ।
tadyathā sītā suvāhinī haṃsavatī kāsā mahācakrā candravatī kāverī surasā śākhāvatī indravatī aṅgāravāhinī haritoyā somāvartā śatahradā vanamālā vasumatī haṃsā suparṇā pañcagaṅgā dhanuṣmatī maṇivaprā subrahmabhāgā vilāsinī kṛṣṇatoyā puṇyodā nāgavatī śivā śevālinī maṇitaṭā kṣīrodā varuṇāvatī viṣṇupadī mahānadī hiraṇyaskandhavāhā surāvatī kāmodā patākā cety etā mahānadyāḥ
tadyathA sItA suvAhinI haMsavatI kAsA mahAchakrA chandravatI kAverI surasA shAkhAvatI indravatI a~NgAravAhinI haritoyA somAvartA shatahradA vanamAlA vasumatI haMsA suparNA pa~nchaga~NgA dhanuShmatI maNivaprA subrahmabhAgA vilAsinI kRRiShNatoyA puNyodA nAgavatI shivA shevAlinI maNitaTA kShIrodA varuNAvatI viShNupadI mahAnadI hiraNyaskandhavAhA surAvatI kAmodA patAkAshchetyetA mahAnadyaH
सीता, सुवाहिनी, हंसवती, कासा, महाचक्र, चंद्रवती, कावेरी, सुरसा, शाखावती, इंद्रवती, अंगारवाहिनी, हरितोया, सोमावर्ता, शतह्रदा, वनमाला, वसुमती, हंसा, सुपर्णा, पंचगंगा, धनुष्मती, मणिवप्रा, सुब्रह्मभागा, विलासिनी, कृष्णतोया, पुण्योदा, नागवती, शिवा, शेवालिनी, मणितटा, क्षीरोदा, वरुणावती, विष्णुपदी, महानदी, हिरण्यस्कंधवाहा, सुरावती, कामोदा, पाटिका, यह सब बड़ी नदियाँ हैं।
Sandhi Notes
- तद्यथा = तद् + यथा
- पताकाश्चेत्य = पताका + च + इति (चेत्य as ca+iti)
- final phrase 'एता महानद्यः' = 'these (are) great rivers' (copula implied)
Varāha
Waters are not merely physical resources but puṇya-vāhinī—bearers of sanctity and cultural memory.
Cultivate reverence and restraint toward rivers (snāna, ācamana, tīrtha-yātrā, protection of waterways) as part of dharmic living.
Varāha Purāṇa 82.25–82.28 (Gaṅgā-sāmyatā, pāpa-kṣaya, longevity-claims)
FAQs
It is a hydronymic catalogue—valuable for textual comparison across Purāṇas and for studying how Sanskrit literature encoded river networks and sacred geography through enumerations.
Multiple rivers are named; some names recur across Sanskrit traditions (e.g., Kāverī), while many are cosmographic or context-specific and not confidently matched to modern rivers without additional textual triangulation.
The verse is primarily descriptive; implicitly it emphasizes rivers as foundational to regional life and identity, supporting an ecological framing of water as a key cultural heritage resource.
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