Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 55, Shloka 10

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

Sanskrit

अञ्जनः कुक्कुटः कृष्णः पाण्डरश्चालोत्तमः । सहस्रशिखरश्चाद्रिः पारियात्रः सशृङ्गवान् ॥

Transliteration

añjanaḥ kukkuṭaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍaraś cālottamaḥ | sahasraśikharaś cādriḥ pāriyātraḥ saśṛṅgavān ||

Translation

ਅੰਜਨ, ਕੁੱਕੁਟ, ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਣ ਅਤੇ ਪਾਂਡਰ; ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਅਚਲੋੱਤਮ; ਅਤੇ ਸਹਸ੍ਰਸ਼ਿਖਰ ਪਹਾੜ; ਤੇ ਚੋਟੀਆਂ ਵਾਲਾ ਪਾਰਿਆਤ੍ਰ—ਇਹ ਪਹਾੜੀ ਸ਼੍ਰੇਣੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਦਰਜ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• अञ्जनः: Añjana (collyrium; name)
• अञ्जनः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुक्कुटः: Kukkuṭa (cock; name)
• कुक्कुटः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्कुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कृष्णः: Kṛṣṇa (black; name)
• कृष्णः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पाण्डरः: Pāṇḍara (whitish; name)
• पाण्डरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अलोत्तमः: Aloत्तama (name; 'excellent')
• अलोत्तमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः अल + उत्तम (तत्पुरुष; 'among mountains best' / 'excellent')

• सहस्रशिखरः: Sahasraśikhara (thousand-peaked; name)
• सहस्रशिखरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्रशिखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः सहस्र + शिखर (बहुव्रीहि: 'having a thousand peaks')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अद्रिः: mountain
• अद्रिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पारियात्रः: Pāriyātra (name of a mountain range)
• पारियात्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारियात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सशृङ्गवान्: having peaks; peaked
• सशृङ्गवान्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शृङ्गवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः स (सह/युक्त) + शृङ्गवत् (तत्पुरुष: 'with peaks/horns')

Speakers

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

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Contrasting names (Kṛṣṇa/Pāṇḍara) suggest the Purana’s inclusive vision of nature’s diversity—order is not sameness but harmonized variety.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Cosmography (world-description) adjacent to sarga/pratisarga; not genealogical (vaṃśa) or dynastic (vaṃśānucarita) content.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Thousand-peaked’ can symbolize manifold states of experience around a single axis of reality, echoing Meru’s role as the stable center.