Shloka 22

Adhyaya 55 — Description of Jambudvipa: The Four Forests, Lakes, and Mountain Ranges Around Mount Meru; Bharata as the Karma-Bhumi

Sanskrit

तत् कर्मभूमिर्नान्यत्र संप्राप्तिः पुण्यपापयोः ।

एतत् प्रधानं विज्ञेयं यत्र सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥

Transliteration

tat karmabhūmir nānyatra saṃprāptiḥ puṇya-pāpayoḥ | etat pradhānaṃ vijñeyaṃ yatra sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam ||

Translation

Bhārata itu ialah tanah perbuatan (karma); di tempat lain tiada perolehan baharu pahala dan dosa. Hendaklah difahami bahawa inilah wilayah utama, tempat segala sesuatu berasaskan.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मभूमिः: the land of action
• कर्मभूमिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कर्मणः भूमिः’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संप्राप्तिः: attainment / occurrence
• संप्राप्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्तिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; भाववाचक-नाम (abstract noun)

• पुण्यपापयोः: of merit and sin
• पुण्यपापयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (as pair), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• प्रधानम्: chief / principal
• प्रधानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; विशेषण

• विज्ञेयम्: to be known
• विज्ञेयम्: Vidhi (विधेय/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त) with वि-उपसर्ग
• Form: कर्तव्य/भाव्यर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive, -ya/-anīya sense); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be known’

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (relative adverb of place)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: is established
• प्रतिष्ठितम्: Vidhi (विधेय/Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP -kta); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘established’

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic discourse (speaker not specified in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Dharma
• Karma
• Cosmology
• Bhārata-varṣa

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Human life in Bhārata is portrayed as uniquely responsible: it is the decisive arena where fresh moral causality is generated, making ethical choice and dharma-practice urgent.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna (special status of a region) with strong dharma/karma doctrine; it also supports the Purāṇic aim of motivating pravṛtti (right action) and nivṛtti (liberation-seeking).

What is the esoteric significance?

Karmabhūmi can be read as the ‘wakeful plane’ where agency is real and transformative; other pleasant realms are more like fruition-states, whereas Bhārata is the crucible of becoming.