Varaha Purana 83.7: Adhyaya 83, Shloka 7
Description of the Bhadrāśva and Ketumāla Regions: Niṣadha’s Western Janapadas and River Systems
Pūrva Bhāga · Sacred Rivers: Principal river list
तद्यथा प्लक्षा महाकदम्बा मानसि श्यामा सुमेधा बहुला विवर्णा पुण्खा माला दर्भवती भद्रानदी शुकनदी पल्लवा भीमा प्रभञ्जना काम्बा कुशावती दक्षा कासवती तुङ्गा पुण्योदा चन्द्रावती सुमूलावती ककुद्मिनी विशाला करन्टका पीवरी महामाया महिषी मानुषी चण्डा एता नदीः प्रधानाः।
tad yathā plakṣā mahākadambā mānasī śyāmā sumedhā bahulā vivarṇā puṅkhā mālā darbhavatī bhadrānadī śukanadī pallavā bhīmā prabhañjanā kāmbā kuśāvatī dakṣā kāsavatī tuṅgā puṇyodā candrāvatī sumūlāvatī kakudminī viśālā karaṇṭakā pīvarī mahāmāyā mahiṣī mānuṣī caṇḍā etā nadīḥ pradhānāḥ
tadyathA plakShA mahAkadambA mAnasI shyAmA sumedhA bahulA vivarNA pu~NkhA mAlA darbhavatI bhadrAnadI shukanadI pallavA bhImA prabha़~njanA kAmbA kushAvatI dakShA kAsavatI tu~NgA puNyodA chandrAvatI sumUlAvatI kakudminI vishAlA karaNTakA pIvarI mahAmAyA mahiShI mAnuShI chaNDA etA nadIH pradhAnAH
और नदियों के नाम हैं, प्लक्षा, महाकदम्बा, मानसी, श्यामा, सुमेधा, बहुला, विवर्णा, पुङ्खा, माला, दर्भवती, भद्रानदी, शुकनदी, पल्लवा, भीमा, प्रभञ्जना, काम्बा, कुशावती, दक्षा, कासवती, तुङ्गा, पुण्योदा, चन्द्रावती, सुमूलावती, ककुद्मिनी, विशाला, करन्टका, पीवरी, महामाया, महिषी, मानुषी और चण्डा। यह सब बड़ी नदियाँ हैं।
Sandhi Notes
- ‘तद्यथा’ = ‘तत्’ + ‘यथा’. River-names are mostly feminine nominative singular
- final statement ‘एताः नदीः प्रधानाः’ has a minor gender/ending inconsistency in transmission (expected ‘नद्यः’)
Rudra
Some rivers are ‘pradhāna’—primary supports of regions and ritual life.
In tīrtha-yātrā or textual study, prioritize principal rivers as anchors for mapping regions, lineages, and ritual observances.
Varāha Purāṇa 83.6 (janapadas drinking mountain rivers); Varāha Purāṇa 83.8 (minor rivers)
FAQs
It is a hydronym catalogue useful for mapping Purāṇic river traditions and for studying how water bodies are prioritized within sacred-geographic systems.
The verse provides river-names within a cosmographic region; modern identifications are generally uncertain and require corroboration from parallel texts and regional traditions.
Not explicit; the emphasis on “principal” rivers reflects a cultural practice of ranking and remembering key waterscapes.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
