Adhyaya 57 — The Ninefold Divisions of Bharata: Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples
करतोया महागौरी दुर्गा चान्तःशिरा तथा ।
(ऋक्ष) (विन्ध्य) पादप्रसूता स्ता नद्यः पुण्यजलाḥ शुभाḥ ॥
karatoyā mahāgaurī durgā cāntaḥśirā tathā / (ṛkṣa) (vindhya) pādaprasūtās tā nadyaḥ puṇyajalāḥ śubhāḥ
Sungai Karatoyā, Mahāgaurī, Durgā, serta Antaḥśirā—sungai-sungai ini dikatakan muncul dari kaki/lereng (Ṛkṣa/Vindhya—bacaan tidak pasti); semuanya membawa keberkahan dan berair suci.
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The verse explicitly frames these rivers as ‘puṇyajalāḥ śubhāḥ’: ethical life includes honoring and protecting what purifies and sustains society—water as sacred trust.
A tīrtha-geography catalogue: while outside the five core topics, it complements dharma by mapping sacred resources and pilgrimage networks.
Calling waters ‘puṇya’ and ‘śubha’ points to the doctrine that purity is transmissible through contact—outer rites mirror inner transformation through sustained practice.