Shloka 13

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

प्राग्ज्योतिषाः सलौहित्याः सामुद्राः पुरुषादकाः ।

पूर्णोत्कटो भद्रगौरस्तथोदयगिरिर्द्विज ॥

Transliteration

prāgjyotiṣāḥ salauhityāḥ sāmudrāḥ puruṣādakāḥ / purṇotkaṭo bhadragauras tathodayagirir dvija !

Translation

ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜ! ପ୍ରାଜ୍ୟୋତିଷ, ସଲୌହିତ୍ୟ, ସାମୁଦ୍ର ଓ ‘ପୁରୁଷାଦକ’ ନାମକ ଜନପଦ ଅଛନ୍ତି; ତଥା ପୂର୍ଣୋତ୍କଟ, ଭଦ୍ରଗୌର ଓ ଉଦୟଗିରି ମଧ୍ୟ (ଦେଶ) ଅଛି।

Word by Word

• प्राग्ज्योतिषाः: the Prāgjyotiṣas (people of Prāgjyotiṣa)
• प्राग्ज्योतिषाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राग्ज्योतिष (प्रातिपदिक; प्राक् + ज्योतिष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्राक्-देशवाचक + ज्योतिष)

• सलौहित्याः: the Salauhityas
• सलौहित्याः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलौहित्य (प्रातिपदिक; स + लौहित्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स-उपसर्गार्थ/सहित + लौहित्य)

• सामुद्राः: the Sāmudras (maritime/coastal people)
• सामुद्राः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पुरुषादकाः: man-eaters
• पुरुषादकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषादक (प्रातिपदिक; पुरुष + आदक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुरुषस्य आदकः = eater of men)

• पूर्णोत्कटः: Pūrṇotkaṭa (a named group/region)
• पूर्णोत्कटः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्णोत्कट (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्ण + उत्कट)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (पूर्णः उत्कटः)

• भद्रगौरः: Bhadragaura (a named group/region)
• भद्रगौरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भद्रगौर (प्रातिपदिक; भद्र + गौर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (भद्रः गौरः)

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (also/likewise)

• उदयगिरिः: Udayagiri (the Udaya mountain/region)
• उदयगिरिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदयगिरि (प्रातिपदिक; उदय + गिरि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (उदयः यस्य/उदय-सम्बन्धी गिरिः)

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speakers

• Narrative voice within the Purāṇic exposition (speaker not specified in provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmography
• Geography
• Ethnography (tribal/people lists)
• Purāṇic world-model (Kūrma-maṇḍala)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The passage is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive: it reflects the Purāṇic habit of mapping human diversity onto a sacred cosmography, implying that all peoples are situated within an ordered cosmic body.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

It aligns most closely with Sthāna (cosmic/terrestrial ‘placement’ and ordering of regions) within Purāṇic description, rather than Sarga/Pratisarga or Vaṃśa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘Kūrma’ (tortoise) model symbolically treats the world as a stable support (like the tortoise bearing weight), with regions assigned to limbs/mouth—an image of integrated cosmic embodiment.