Varaha Purana 78.17: Adhyaya 78, Shloka 17

Names of the Four Directional Mountain-Kings and Their Lakes

Rudra’s Geographical Description

Devanagari script

पञ्चशैलश्च कैलासो हिमवानचलोत्तमः । उत्तराः ये महाशैलास्तान् वक्ष्यामि निबोधत ॥ ७८.१७ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 78.17

Transliteration

pañcaśailaś ca kailāso himavān acalottamaḥ | uttarā ye mahāśailās tān vakṣyāmi nibodhata || 78.17 ||

Translation

പഞ്ചശൈലം, കൈലാസം, ഹിമവാൻ—പർവ്വതങ്ങളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ. ഇനി ഉത്തരദേശത്തിലെ മഹാശൈലങ്ങളെ ഞാൻ വിവരിക്കും; ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ കേൾക്കുക।

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Word by Word

• पञ्चशैलः: Pañcaśaila (five-peaked; name)
• पञ्चशैलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + शैल (प्रातिपदिक); पञ्चशैल (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्च शैलाः यस्य/पञ्चशैलः)

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

• कैलासः: Kailāsa
• कैलासः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हिमवान्: Himavān (the snowy one; Himalaya)
• हिमवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (having snow)

• अचलोत्तमः: best of mountains
• अचलोत्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचल + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); अचलोत्तम (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुष-प्राय (अचलानाम् उत्तमः)

• उत्तराः: northern
• उत्तराः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ये: which/who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• महाशैलाः: great mountains
• महाशैलाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + शैल (प्रातिपदिक); महाशैल (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (महान्तः शैलाः)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• वक्ष्यामि: I will describe/speak
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निबोधत: understand/heed (you all)
• निबोधत: Sambodhana/Kriya (सम्बोधनार्थ-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध् (धातु) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It functions as a catalogue-introduction typical of Purāṇic sacred-geography, framing prominent mountain names (e.g., Kailāsa, Himavān) before a broader northern-region listing, useful for mapping cultural landscapes in early Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

Kailāsa and Himavān are named. In scholarship, Himavān broadly corresponds to the Himalayan range; Kailāsa is commonly associated with Mount Kailash in the trans-Himalayan region (often discussed in historical-geographical studies of Sanskrit texts).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse does not state a direct ethical rule; its philosophical instruction is methodological—calling for attentive listening and careful transmission of knowledge about culturally significant landscapes.