Shloka 48

Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa

Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island

Devanagari script

वस्वोकसारा नलिनी पावनी च सरस्वती । जम्बूनदी च सीता च गज्जा सिन्धुश्च सप्तमी,उन धाराओंके नाम इस प्रकार हैं--वस्वोकसारा, नलिनी, पावनी सरस्वती, जम्बूनदी, सीता, गंगा और सिंधु

Transliteration

vasvokasārā nalinī pāvanī ca sarasvatī | jambūnadī ca sītā ca gaṅgā sindhuś ca saptamī ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “The seven sacred streams are named Vasvokasārā, Nalinī, Pāvanī, Sarasvatī, Jambūnadī, Sītā, Gaṅgā, and, as the seventh, Sindhu.” In this context, the naming of revered rivers underscores purity, auspiciousness, and the sanctifying power of sacred geography within the epic’s moral universe.

Word by Word

वस्वोकसाराVasvokasārā (name of a river/stream)

नलिनीNalinī (name of a river/stream)

पावनीPāvanī (name of a river/stream; 'purifying')

चand

सरस्वतीSarasvatī (river Sarasvati)

जम्बूनदीJambūnadī (name of a river/stream)

चand

सीताSītā (name of a river/stream)

चand

गङ्गाGaṅgā (Ganges)

सिन्धुःSindhu (Indus)

चand

सप्तमीthe seventh (one)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Vasvokasārā (river/stream)

Nalinī (river/stream)

Pāvanī (river/stream)

Sarasvatī (river)

Jambūnadī (river/stream)

Sītā (river/stream)

Gaṅgā (river)

Sindhu (river)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes