Vamana Purana — Structure of Jambudvipa, Shloka 58
The Structure of Jambudvipa: Nine Varshas, Navadvipa Bharata, Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples
इमे तवोक्ता विषयाः सुविस्तराद् द्विपे कुमारे रजनीचरेश एतेषु देशेषु च देशधर्मान् संकीर्त्यमानाञ् शृणु तत्त्वातो हि
ime tavoktā viṣayāḥ suvistarād dvipe kumāre rajanīcareśa eteṣu deśeṣu ca deśadharmān saṃkīrtyamānāñ śṛṇu tattvāto hi
Wilayah-wilayah ini telah dihuraikan kepadamu dengan panjang lebar di Kumāra-dvīpa, wahai tuan para pengembara malam. Sekarang dengarlah, menurut kebenaran, adat resam dan hukum setempat (deśa-dharma) yang sedang dipertuturkan bagi negeri-negeri ini.
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Dharma is presented as context-sensitive: alongside universal ideals, the Purāṇa recognizes ‘deśa-dharma’—norms shaped by place, people, and conditions—urging the listener to understand them ‘tattvataḥ’ (accurately).
Still within Sthāna (regional description), but it explicitly bridges into dharma-śāstric material by promising an account of local customs; it is a structural hinge from geography to normative practice.
Addressing even a ‘rajanīcareśa’ (lord of nocturnal beings) suggests the Purāṇic impulse to universalize instruction: knowledge of order (dharma) is offered across boundaries of species/community, reinforcing a cosmos governed by intelligible norms.