Shloka 26

Adhyaya 54 — Cosmography of Jambudvipa: Continents, Oceans, Varshas, and Mount Meru

Sanskrit

मर्यादापर्वताः ह्येते कथ्यन्तेऽष्टौ द्विजोत्तम ।

हिमवद्धेमकूटादिपर्वतानां परस्परम् ॥

Transliteration

maryādā-parvatā hy ete kathyante ’ṣṭau dvijottama | himavad-dhema-kūṭādi-parvatānāṁ parasparam ||

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik di antara kaum dwija, inilah delapan gunung batas, bermula dari Himavat dan Hemakūṭa, yang tersusun menurut hubungan letaknya satu sama lain.

Word by Word

• मर्यादा-पर्वताः: boundary mountains
• मर्यादा-पर्वताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मर्यादायाः पर्वताः = boundary-mountains)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/causal sense

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• कथ्यन्ते: are said/are called
• कथ्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• द्विज-उत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विज-उत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठः द्विजः)

• हिमवत्-हेमकूट-आदि-पर्वतानाम्: of the mountains such as Himavat and Hemakūṭa
• हिमवत्-हेमकूट-आदि-पर्वतानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + हेमकूट (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; समाहार/सूची-तत्पुरुषः (हिमवत्-हेमकूट-आदीनां पर्वतानाम्)

• परस्परम्: mutually/with respect to one another
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), mutual/reciprocal sense

Speakers

• Cosmography narration within Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa (speaker not explicit in excerpt)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The ordered description of boundaries conveys a dhārmic vision of a structured cosmos: reality is intelligible, layered, and governed by limits (maryādā), mirroring the ethical idea that life too is sustained by rightful boundaries.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily within Sthāna (cosmic geography/arrangement of worlds and continents), a standard purāṇic characteristic.

What is the esoteric significance?

Boundary-mountains can be read symbolically as the ‘guardrails’ of manifestation—principles that contain and stabilize experience, analogous to inner disciplines that prevent the mind from dispersing.