Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 60, Shloka 11

Adhyaya 60 — Descriptions of Kimpurusha-varsha, Hari-varsha, Ilavrita (Meru-varsha), Ramyaka, and Hiranyamaya

Sanskrit

मेरुस्तत्र महाशैलस्तदाख्यातमिलावृतम् ।

रम्यकं वर्षमस्माच्च कथयिष्ये निबोध तत् ॥

Transliteration

merus tatra mahā-śailas tad ākhyātam ilāvṛtam | ramyakaṃ varṣam asmāc ca kathayiṣye nibodha tat ||

Translation

ਉੱਥੇ ਮੇਰੂ ਮਹਾਨ ਪਹਾੜਾਂ ਦਾ ਰਾਜਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਖੇਤਰ ‘ਇਲਾਵ੍ਰਿਤ’ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਹੁਣ ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਅੱਗੇ ਮੈਂ ‘ਰਮ੍ਯਕ’ ਨਾਮਕ ਵਰ੍ਹੇ ਦਾ ਵਰਣਨ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ—ਸਮਝ ਲਵੋ।

Word by Word

• meruḥ: Meru
• meruḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: meru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• mahā-śailaḥ: a great mountain
• mahā-śailaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + śaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् शैलः)

• tat: that
• tat: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ākhyātam: is called
• ākhyātam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √khyā + ā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘आख्यात’ = called/named

• ilā-vṛtam: Ilāvṛta (name)
• ilā-vṛtam: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ilā + vṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; संज्ञा-तत्पुरुषः

• ramyakam: pleasant, delightful
• ramyakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (varṣam)

• varṣam: region/land (varṣa)
• varṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• asmāt: from this
• asmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• kathayiṣye: I shall describe/tell
• kathayiṣye: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) [णिच् causative]
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (to cause to be told = to tell)

• nibodha: understand, take note
• nibodha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √budh + ni (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• tat: that (thing)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speakers

• Puranic narrator describing cosmic geography (frame-speaker not explicit in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography
• Meru
• Toponymy (naming of regions)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The careful naming and sequencing of regions reflects a Purāṇic pedagogy: cosmic order is learnable and structured, encouraging reverence for an intelligible universe rather than randomness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Cosmographic cataloging belongs to sarga/pratisarga descriptive material—mapping the created world and its divisions.

What is the esoteric significance?

Naming (ākhyāna) is a form of ‘making knowable’: esoterically, to name the inner ‘regions’ of experience is to gain mastery and orientation on the spiritual path.