Shloka 13

Bhāratavarṣa–Navabheda-Vyavasthā

The Nine Divisions of Bhāratavarṣa and Its Sacred Geography

Devanagari script

त्रियामा चर्षिकुल्याद्या महेन्द्रप्रभवा स्मृताः । ऋषिकुल्या कुमार्य्याद्याः शुक्तिमत्पादसंभवाः

Transliteration

triyāmā carṣikulyādyā mahendraprabhavā smṛtāḥ | ṛṣikulyā kumāryyādyāḥ śuktimatpādasaṃbhavāḥ

Translation

त्रियामा, चर्षिकुल्या इत्यादी नद्या महेन्द्र पर्वतापासून उद्भवतात असे स्मरणात आहे; आणि ऋषिकुल्या, कुमार्या इत्यादी नद्या शुक्तिमानाच्या पादप्रदेशातून उत्पन्न होतात असे सांगितले जाते।

Word by Word

• त्रियामा: Triyāmā (river)
• त्रियामा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रियामा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक निपात

• ऋषिकुल्य-आद्याः: (rivers) beginning with Ṛṣikulyā
• ऋषिकुल्य-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषिकुल्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; नदी-नामसमूहः

• महेन्द्र-प्रभवाः: arising from Mahendra (mountain)
• महेन्द्र-प्रभवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—(नद्यः)

• स्मृताः: are said/are known
• स्मृताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे—“are said/are remembered”

• ऋषिकुल्या: Ṛṣikulyā (river)
• ऋषिकुल्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषिकुल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• कुमारी-आद्याः: (rivers) beginning with Kumārī
• कुमारी-आद्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; नदी-नामसमूहः

• शुक्तिमत्-पाद-संभवाः: originating from the foot of Śuktimat (mountain)
• शुक्तिमत्-पाद-संभवाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्तिमत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण—(नद्यः)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, in the Uma Samhita’s descriptive discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga narrative; continues the bhū-maṇḍala river-origins list, sacralizing mountain sources as tīrtha-mūla.

Significance: Remembering/visiting river-sources is treated as tīrtha-sevā that supports dharma (snāna, tarpaṇa, vrata) and prepares the mind for Śiva-upāsanā.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Mahendra
• Śuktimān
• Triyāmā
• Carṣikulyā
• Ṛṣikulyā
• Kumāryā

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It maps sacred rivers to divine or exalted sources, teaching that tīrthas are not merely geography but carriers of sanctifying power—supporting purification (śuddhi) that prepares the seeker for Shiva-oriented knowledge and devotion.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

By affirming the sanctity of tīrthas, it supports the broader Purāṇic pattern where bathing and pilgrimage become preparatory acts for Saguna Shiva worship—approaching the Linga with purity, faith, and disciplined conduct.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is tīrtha-snān (ritual bathing) with remembrance of Shiva—ideally accompanied by japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and simple observances like cleanliness, restraint, and offering water to Shiva.