Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 57, Shloka 32

Adhyaya 57 — The Ninefold Divisions of Bharata: Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples

Sanskrit

विश्वस्य मातरः सर्वाः सर्वपापहराः स्मृताः ।

अन्याः सहस्रशश्चोक्ताः क्षुद्रनद्यो द्विजोत्तम ॥

प्रावृट्कालवहाः सन्ति सदाकालवहाश्च याः ।

मत्स्याश्वकूटाः कुल्याश्च कुन्तलाः काशिकोशलाः ॥

Transliteration

viśvasya mātaraḥ sarvāḥ sarvapāpaharāḥ smṛtāḥ /

anyāḥ sahasraśaś coktaḥ kṣudranadyo dvijottama //

prāvṛṭkālavahāḥ santi sadākālavahāś ca yāḥ /

matsyāśvakūṭāḥ kulyāś ca kuntalāḥ kāśikośalāḥ //

Translation

ਸਾਰੀਆਂ ਨਦੀਆਂ ਜਗਤ ਦੀਆਂ ਮਾਤਾਵਾਂ ਵਜੋਂ ਯਾਦ ਕੀਤੀਆਂ ਜਾਂਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ; ਉਹ ਸਭ ਪਾਪ ਦੂਰ ਕਰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਹੇ ਦ੍ਵਿਜ-ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ, ਹੋਰ ਹਜ਼ਾਰਾਂ ਛੋਟੀਆਂ ਨਦੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਵੀ ਉਲੇਖ ਹੈ। ਕੁਝ ਵਰਖਾ-ਰੁੱਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਹਿੰਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ, ਕੁਝ ਸਾਲ ਭਰ—ਜਿਵੇਂ ਮਤ੍ਸ੍ਯਾਸ਼੍ਵਕੂਟਾ, ਕੁਲ੍ਯਾ, ਕੁੰਤਲਾ ਅਤੇ ਕਾਸ਼ਿਕੋਸ਼ਲਾ।

Word by Word

• viśvasya: of the world
• viśvasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• mātaraḥ: mothers
• mātaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sarvāḥ: all
• sarvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; adjective qualifying mātaraḥ

• sarva-pāpa-harāḥ: removers of all sins
• sarva-pāpa-harāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे/विशेषणरूपेण—‘those who remove all sins’ (mātaraḥ)

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/are called
• smṛtāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Feminine Nominative Plural (स्त्री प्रथमा बहु) agreeing with mātaraḥ; passive sense ‘are remembered/called’

• anyāḥ: others
• anyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; ‘others’ (rivers/regions implied)

• sahasraśaḥ: in thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय) meaning ‘by thousands/in thousands’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• uktāḥ: are mentioned
• uktāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Feminine Nominative Plural agreeing with anyāḥ; passive sense ‘are said/mentioned’

• kṣudra-nadyaḥ: small rivers
• kṣudra-nadyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣudra (प्रातिपदिक) + nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; ‘small rivers’

• dvija-uttama: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-uttama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; संबोधन to the listener

• prāvṛṭ-kāla-vahāḥ: flowing in the rainy season
• prāvṛṭ-kāla-vahāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāvṛṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + vaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; qualifying (nadyaḥ) ‘carrying (water) in the rainy season’

• santi: are/exist
• santi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• sadā-kāla-vahāḥ: flowing all the time (perennial)
• sadā-kāla-vahāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadā (अव्यय) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + vaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; ‘carrying (water) at all times/perennial’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• yāḥ: which (those that)
• yāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun referring to rivers

• matsyāśvakūṭāḥ: Matsyas and Aśvakūṭas
• matsyāśvakūṭāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matsya (प्रातिपदिक) + aśvakūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; copulative list-name (two groups/places)

• kulyāḥ: Kulyās
• kulyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kulyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; proper name/group

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• kuntalāḥ: Kuntalas
• kuntalāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuntala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; proper name (people/region)

• kāśikośalāḥ: Kāśis and Kośalas
• kāśikośalāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśi (प्रातिपदिक) + kośala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; copulative list-name

Speakers

• Catalogue narration addressing a brāhmaṇa (dvijottama); exact named speaker not determinable from excerpt alone

Key Themes

• Rivers as universal mothers
• Purification
• Seasonal hydrology (monsoon/perennial)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The ethical thrust is reverence plus responsibility: rivers sustain the world like mothers; therefore one should avoid polluting them and approach them with purity, gratitude, and restraint.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Geographical and dharma-supporting material (tīrtha/nadī praise). It is not sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṁśa/vaṁśānucarita, but complements dharma by sacralizing landscape.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Sin-removal’ can be read inwardly: waters symbolize the mind’s cleansing flow; monsoon vs perennial streams mirror intermittent vs steady spiritual practice.