Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 54, Shloka 22

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

Sanskrit

जठरो देवकूटश्च पूर्वस्यां दिशि पर्वतौ ।

आनीलनिषधौ प्राप्तौ परस्परनिरन्तरौ ॥

Transliteration

jaṭharo devakūṭaśca pūrvasyāṃ diśi parvatau / ānīlaniṣadhau prāptau parasparanirantarau

Translation

ಪೂರ್ವ ದಿಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಜಠರ ಮತ್ತು ದೇವಕೂಟ ಎಂಬ ಎರಡು ಪರ್ವತಗಳು ಹೇಳಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿವೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಆನೀಲ ಮತ್ತು ನಿಷಧವೂ ಯಾವುದೇ ಅಂತರವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ಸನ್ನಿಹಿತವಾಗಿ ಇವೆ.

Word by Word

• jaṭharaḥ: Jaṭhara (mountain/name)
• jaṭharaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• devakūṭaḥ: Devakūṭa (mountain/name)
• devakūṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + kūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (devasya kūṭaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• pūrvasyām: in the eastern
• pūrvasyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; दिक्-विशेषण (qualifying diśi)

• diśi: direction
• diśi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• parvatau: two mountains
• parvatau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

• ānīla-niṣadhau: Ānīla and Niṣadha
• ānīla-niṣadhau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānīla (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (two named mountains)

• prāptau: have reached/are situated
• prāptau: Kriyā (क्रिया/भवति-अर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (आप्) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्/परिप्रयोगे क्त-प्रायः; वस्तुतः ‘प्राप्त’ इति क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तस्य द्विवचन-प्रथमा (past participle used predicatively); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• paraspara-nirantarau: mutually contiguous/without gap between each other
• paraspara-nirantarau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: paraspara (प्रातिपदिक) + nirantara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ānīla-niṣadhau)

Speakers

• Not identifiable from the supplied excerpt (cosmography narration)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography
• Directional mountain ranges

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The insistence on continuity (no gap) underscores a Purāṇic sense of a seamlessly connected cosmos—an ordered whole rather than scattered fragments.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sarga/Sthāna cosmography: mapping the world’s structural geography around Meru.

What is the esoteric significance?

Contiguous mountain-pairs can symbolize paired supports (e.g., complementary forces) that hold a direction/quarter stable—useful for mandala-style contemplation.