Vamana Purana — Structure of Jambudvipa, Shloka 36
The Structure of Jambudvipa: Nine Varshas, Navadvipa Bharata, Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples
वृकाः शबरकौवीराः सभूलिङ्गा जनास्त्विमे शकाश्चैव समशका मध्यदेश्य जनास्त्विमे
vṛkāḥ śabarakauvīrāḥ sabhūliṅgā janāstvime śakāścaiva samaśakā madhyadeśya janāstvime
“Bangsa-bangsa ini ialah Vṛka, Śabara, Kauvīra, bersama-sama Bhūliṅga. Dan inilah pula Śaka dan Samaśaka—mereka inilah bangsa-bangsa di Madhyadeśa, Negeri Tengah.”
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
By naming both ‘central’ (madhyadeśya) and peripheral groups, the text presents a unified civilizational field. The implied ethic is that dharma’s scope is not confined to one polity; sacred order encompasses varied communities.
This is ancillary descriptive material (deśa/people catalogues) commonly embedded within Purāṇas. It does not directly serve sarga/pratisarga, but supports the Purāṇic aim of mapping the world inhabited by lineages and traditions.
‘Madhyadeśa’ functions as a symbolic center of dharmic geography; the inclusion of Śakas/others reflects the Purāṇic habit of integrating historically visible groups into a cosmological narrative frame.