Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 18

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

कैष्किन्ध्याः हैमकूटाश्च निषधाः कटकस्थलाः ।

दशार्णाहारिका नग्ना निषादाः काकुलालकाः ॥

Transliteration

kaiṣkindhyā haimakūṭāś ca niṣadhāḥ kaṭakasthalāḥ / daśārṇāhārikā nagnā niṣādāḥ kākulālakāḥ

Translation

ಕೈಷ್ಕಿಂಧ್ಯರು, ಹೈಮಕೂಟರು, ನಿಷಧರು, ಕಟಕಾಶ್ಥಲರು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ದಶಾರ್ಣರು, ಹಾರಿಕರು, ನಗ್ನರು, ನಿಷಾದರು ಮತ್ತು ಕಾಕುಲಾಲಕರು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• कैष्किन्ध्याः: (people) of Kiṣkindhā / Kiṣkindhyas
• कैष्किन्ध्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaiṣkindhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• हैमकूटाः: Haimakūṭas (people of/near Hemakūṭa)
• हैमकूटाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haimakūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• निषधाः: Niṣadhas
• निषधाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• कटकस्थलाः: Kaṭakasthalas (those of the Kaṭaka region)
• कटकस्थलाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṭaka + sthala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'of Kaṭaka' + 'place/region'

• दशार्णाहारिकाः: Daśārṇāhārikas
• दशार्णाहारिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśārṇa + āhārika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'of Daśārṇa' + 'Āhārika' (gentilic)

• नग्नाः: naked
• नग्नाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nagna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying the listed peoples

• निषादाः: Niṣādas
• निषादाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• काकुलालकाः: Kākulālakās
• काकुलालकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kākulālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic exposition (speaker not specified in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmography
• Mountain-associated peoples
• Janapada lists

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Purāṇic ‘people lists’ are not value-judgments by default; they are classificatory—aimed at comprehensiveness within a sacred map.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna.

What is the esoteric significance?

Linking groups to mountains (Haimakūṭa, Niṣadha) encodes a ‘vertical axis’ symbolism: mountains act as world-pillars anchoring the cosmic body’s geography.