Varaha Purana 80.1: Adhyaya 80, Shloka 1
Cosmographic Ordering of the Southern and Western Quarters: Valleys, Forest-Plateaus, and Sacred Sites
रुद्र उवाच । अथ दक्षिणदिग्व्यवस्थिताः पर्वतद्रोण्यः सिद्धाचारिताः कीर्त्यन्ते । शिशिरपतङ्गयोर्मध्ये शुक्लभूमिस्त्रिया मुक्तलतागलितपादपम् । इक्षुक्षेपे च शिखरे पादपैरुपशोभितम् । उदुम्बरवनं रम्यं पक्षिसङ्घनिषेवितम् ॥ ८०.१ ॥
rudra uvāca | atha dakṣiṇadigvyavasthitāḥ parvatadroṇyaḥ siddhācaritāḥ kīrtyante | śiśirapataṅgayor madhye śuklabhūmis triyā muktalatāgalitapādapam | ikṣukṣepe ca śikhare pādapair upaśobhitam | udumbaravanaṃ ramyaṃ pakṣisaṅghaniṣevitam || 80.1 ||
Rudra bersabda: Kini dihuraikan lembah-lembah gunung di arah selatan, tempat yang sering diziarahi para siddha yang telah mencapai kesempurnaan. Di antara Śiśira dan Pataṅga terdapat hamparan tanah yang putih bercahaya, dihiasi pepohon yang daripadanya berjuntaian gugusan sulur menjalar yang tumbuh bebas. Dan di puncak bernama Ikṣukṣepa, yang indah oleh pepohon, terdapat rimba udumbara (ara berkelompok) yang menawan, didiami kawanan burung.
Rudra
FAQs
It exemplifies a common Purāṇic archival mode: cataloguing named or semi-mythic southern landscapes (valleys, peaks, groves) as cultural-ecological heritage, often linking geography with communities of sages or “accomplished beings” (Siddhas).
The verse names features such as “Ikṣukṣepa” (a peak) and references a region “between Śiśira and Pataṅga.” These appear as toponyms within the text’s internal sacred geography; a secure modern identification is not determinable from this single verse alone without corroborating manuscripts or parallel itineraries.
While not framed as a direct injunction, the passage foregrounds ecological valuation—groves, trees, creepers, and bird communities—supporting an implicit philosophical instruction to regard such landscapes as noteworthy cultural heritage and living habitats deserving careful attention.
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