Vamana Purana — Structure of Jambudvipa, Shloka 34
The Structure of Jambudvipa: Nine Varshas, Navadvipa Bharata, Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples
अन्याः सहस्रशश्चात्र क्षुद्रनद्यो हि राक्षस सदाकालवहाश्चान्याः प्रवृट्कालवहास्तथा उदङ्मध्योद्भवा देशाः पिबन्ति स्वेच्छया शुभाः
anyāḥ sahasraśaścātra kṣudranadyo hi rākṣasa sadākālavahāścānyāḥ pravṛṭkālavahāstathā udaṅmadhyodbhavā deśāḥ pibanti svecchayā śubhāḥ
“Dan di sini ada ribuan lagi anak sungai yang kecil, wahai Rākṣasa. Ada yang mengalir sepanjang tahun; ada pula yang mengalir hanya pada musim hujan. Wilayah-wilayah yang mulia, muncul di daerah utara dan tengah, meminum (yakni disirami) air menurut kehendak mereka.”
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FAQs
The verse frames water as a sustaining, orderly principle in the world: different flows (perennial/seasonal) support habitation. Implicitly, prosperity depends on dhārmic alignment with natural rhythms (ṛtu), a common Purāṇic motif in sacred geography.
This is best classified under sthāna/vaibhava-style descriptive material and can be indexed within Purāṇic 'tīrtha-prasaṃśā/mahātmya' and regional enumeration rather than sarga/pratisarga proper.
Perennial versus monsoon-fed streams symbolize steadiness versus periodic renewal. The ‘regions drinking freely’ suggests the land’s receptivity—fertility as a gift mediated by waters, often sacralized in tīrtha contexts.