Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 55, Shloka 13

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

Sanskrit

स्वर्णशृङ्गी शातशृङ्गी पुष्पको मेघपर्वतः । विरजाक्षो वराहाद्रिर्मयूरो जारुधिस्तथा ॥

Transliteration

svarṇaśṛṅgī śātaśṛṅgī puṣpako meghaparvataḥ | virajākṣo varāhādrir mayūro jārudhis tathā ||

Translation

ସ୍ୱର୍ଣ୍ଣଶୃଙ୍ଗୀ, ଶାତଶୃଙ୍ଗୀ, ପୁଷ୍ପକ ଓ ମେଘପର୍ବତ; ଏବଂ ବିରଜାକ୍ଷ, ବରାହାଦ୍ରି, ମୟୂର ଓ ଜାରୁଧି—ଏମାନେ ଉତ୍ତରଦିଗର ପର୍ବତ ଭାବେ ପରିଗଣିତ।

Word by Word

• स्वर्णशृङ्गी: Svarṇaśṛṅgī (golden-peaked; name)
• स्वर्णशृङ्गी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्णशृङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः स्वर्ण + शृङ्गिन् (बहुव्रीहि: 'having golden peaks/horns')

• शातशृङ्गी: Śātaśṛṅgī (hundred-peaked; name)
• शातशृङ्गी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शातशृङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः शात/शत + शृङ्गिन् (बहुव्रीहि: 'hundred-peaked')

• पुष्पकः: Puṣpaka (flowery; name)
• पुष्पकः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्पक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मेघपर्वतः: Meghaparvata (cloud-mountain; name)
• मेघपर्वतः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेघपर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः मेघ + पर्वत (तत्पुरुष)

• विरजाक्षः: Virajākṣa (clear-eyed; name)
• विरजाक्षः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विरजाक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः विरज (निर्मल) + अक्ष (कर्मधारय: 'clear-eyed')

• वराहाद्रिः: Varāhādri (boar-mountain; name)
• वराहाद्रिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वराहाद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः वराह + अद्रि (तत्पुरुष)

• मयूरः: Mayūra (peacock; name)
• मयूरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मयूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जारुधिः: Jārudhi (name)
• जारुधिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जारुधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

Speakers

• Not within Devi Mahatmyam; cosmographic narration (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Vishnu

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography
• Symbolic Toponymy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The grandeur of ‘golden-peaked’ and ‘hundred-peaked’ mountains communicates a cosmos of vast scale, tempering human pride and encouraging humility before dharma and time.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Cosmographic description (world-structure), typically aligned with sarga/pratisarga expositions in Purāṇic organization.

What is the esoteric significance?

Varāhādri recalls Varāha (Viṣṇu) lifting the earth—hinting that geography is also mythic memory: the land itself is read as a record of divine stabilization of the world.