Shloka 9

Adhyaya 56 — The Descent and Fourfold Course of the Ganga; Jambudvipa’s Varshas and Their Conditions

Sanskrit

आसाद्य शैलराजानं रम्यं हि शिखरन्तथा ।

तस्माच्च पर्वतान् सर्वान् दक्षिणोपक्रमोदितान् ॥

Transliteration

āsādya śailarājānaṃ ramyaṃ hi śikharantathā /

tasmācca parvatān sarvān dakṣiṇopakramoditān

Translation

ପର୍ବତରାଜ ଓ ତାହାର ରମ୍ୟ ଶିଖରକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ହୋଇ, ସେ ସେଠାରୁ ଦକ୍ଷିଣ କ୍ରମରେ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣିତ ସମସ୍ତ ପର୍ବତମାନଙ୍କ ଉପରେ ଦେଇ ଅଗ୍ରସର ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• आसाद्य: having reached
• आसाद्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): ‘having reached/approached’

• शैल-राजानम्: the king of mountains
• शैल-राजानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक) + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘शैलानां राजा’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (शैलराजानम्)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), कारण/अवधारणार्थ

• शिखरम्: peak/summit
• शिखरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘also/likewise’

• तस्मात्: from that (place)
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• पर्वतान्: mountains
• पर्वतान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पर्वतान्)

• दक्षिण-उपक्रम-उदितान्: arising/occurring in the southern course
• दक्षिण-उपक्रम-उदितान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + उपक्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + उदित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √उद् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण: ‘दक्षिणोपक्रमे उदिताः’ = ‘arising/mentioned in the southern progression’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पर्वतान्)

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Primary Deities

• Gaṅgā

Shakti Aspects

• Gaṅgā as the traversing sacred current through mountain systems

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Mountain cosmology
• Pilgrimage-mapping style catalog

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The sacred is portrayed as structured and traversable: spiritual geography is ordered (krama), encouraging a worldview where cosmos and dharma are intelligible rather than chaotic.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna: enumeration/ordering of mountains and routes.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘southern progression’ can symbolize descent into denser experience; the river’s continued purity implies that sanctity can persist through all gradations of manifestation.