Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 57, Shloka 12

Adhyaya 57 — The Ninefold Divisions of Bharata: Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples

Sanskrit

विस्तारोच्छ्रयिणो रम्या विपुलाश्चात्र सानवः ।

कोलाहलः सवैभ्राजो मन्दरो दर्दुराचलः ॥

Transliteration

vistārocchrayiṇo ramyā vipulāś cātra sānavaḥ | kolāhalaḥ savaibhrājo mandaro dardurācalaḥ ||

Translation

ഇവിടെ ശിഖരരേഖകളോടുകൂടിയ, മനോഹരവും വിശാലവും മഹാവിസ്താര-മഹോന്നതവുമായ പർവ്വതനിരകൾ ഉണ്ട്—കോലാഹല, വൈഭ്രാജ, മന്ദര, ദർദുര പർവ്വതങ്ങൾ.

Word by Word

• विस्तार: extent; breadth
• विस्तार: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासपूर्वपद)

• उच्छ्रयिणः: lofty; having great height
• उच्छ्रयिणः: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + श्रि (धातु) → उच्छ्रयिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उच्छ्रयिन्-शब्दः, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त-प्राय (possessing height/lofty)

• रम्याः: beautiful
• रम्याः: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सानवः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

• विपुलाः: vast; broad
• विपुलाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सानवः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषण

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• सानवः: mountain ridges/plateaus (summits)
• सानवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कोलाहलः: (mountain) Kolāhala
• कोलाहलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोलाहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सवैभ्राजः: (mountain) Savaibhrāja
• सवैभ्राजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स + वैभ्राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वैभ्राजः सः)

• मन्दरः: (mountain) Mandara
• मन्दरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दर्दुराचलः: (mountain) Dardurācala
• दर्दुराचलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्दुर + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दर्दुर-नामकः अचलः)

Speakers

• Not within Devi Māhātmya; standard Purāṇic narration (frame-speakers not explicit in these verses)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Cosmography
• Toponymy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Naming and praising the land’s features reinforces a sacralized ecology: mountains are not inert matter but revered presences within a dharmic world.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

‘Sthāna’—regional description and cataloguing.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘high and expansive’ mountains can symbolize expanded consciousness and elevated aspiration; ridges (sānu) suggest stages or ‘levels’ of ascent.