Varaha Purana 75.3: Adhyaya 75, Shloka 3

Description of Jambūdvīpa: its regions, mountains, measurements, and cosmic structure

Devanagari script

द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि सप्तस्वन्तर्गतानि च । न शक्यन्ते क्रमेणेह वक्तुं यैर् विततं जगत् ॥ ७५.३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 75.3

Transliteration

dvīpabhedasahasrāṇi saptasvantargatāni ca | na śakyante krameṇeha vaktuṃ yair vitataṃ jagat || 75.3 ||

Translation

ദ്വീപങ്ങളുടെ ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് ഭേദങ്ങളും ഏഴ് (പ്രധാന) ദ്വീപുകളിലടങ്ങിയവയും—അവയാൽ ലോകം വ്യാപിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു—ഇവയെ ഇവിടെ ക്രമമായി പറയാൻ കഴിയില്ല।

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Word by Word

• द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि: thousands of divisions of continents
• द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of शक्यन्ते)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप + भेद + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (द्वीपानां भेदानां सहस्राणि)

• सप्तसु: in the seven
• सप्तसु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण

• अन्तर्गतानि: included within
• अन्तर्गतानि: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर् + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषण (to द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• शक्यन्ते: are possible/can be
• शक्यन्ते: क्रिया (Main verb; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: 'are possible')

• क्रमेण: in order/stepwise
• क्रमेण: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (instrumental of manner)

• इह: here
• इह: अधिकरण (Location/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वक्तुम्: to say/describe
• वक्तुम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-अन्त (infinitive), परस्मैपद-धातु; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• यैः: by which
• यैः: करण (Instrument; 'by which')
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• विततम्: spread/extended
• विततम्: विशेषण (Adjectival to जगत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + तन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of vitatam as predicate adjective)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography
• Cosmological Taxonomy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic method of presenting cosmological geography: acknowledging extensive enumerations (dvīpa subdivisions) while indicating the limits of exhaustive listing within a single chapter, which helps situate the text within broader Sanskrit cosmographic traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single named location is specified in this verse; it refers generically to dvīpas (cosmic continents/islands) and to the framework of seven principal dvīpas used in Purāṇic cosmology.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct ethical rule, the verse conveys an epistemic principle: the world’s expanse and complexity exceed complete sequential narration, encouraging methodological humility in cataloguing cosmological/geographical knowledge.