Adhyaya 57 — The Ninefold Divisions of Bharata: Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples
स्वर्गापवर्गप्राप्तिश्च पुण्यं पापञ्च वै तदा ।
महेन्द्रो मलयः सह्यः शुक्तिमानृक्षपर्वतः ॥
svargāpavargaprāptiś ca puṇyaṃ pāpañ ca vai tadā | mahendro malayaḥ sahyaḥ śuktimān ṛkṣaparvataḥ ||
तेथे स्वर्ग व मोक्ष यांची प्राप्तीही आहे; तसेच पुण्य व पापही आहेत. (त्या देशात) महेन्द्र, मलय, सह्य, शुक्तिमान आणि ऋक्ष हे पर्वत आहेत.
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Even within a geographic catalogue, the Purāṇa anchors human destiny in karma: puṇya and pāpa lead to svarga, while apavarga points beyond both. The world is not value-neutral; it is morally textured.
Mainly ‘Sthāna’ (mountains and regions), with a doctrinal insert about karmaphala and apavarga.
Mountains often function as ‘axis’ symbols—stable, elevated loci of tapas and transcendence—mirroring the ascent from puṇya (heavenly results) toward apavarga (release).