Varaha Purana 75.3: Adhyaya 75, Shloka 3

Description of Jambūdvīpa: its regions, mountains, measurements, and cosmic structure

Pūrva Bhāga · Cosmology and Sacred Geography (Dvīpa-vibhāga)

Devanagari script

द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि सप्तस्वन्तर्गतानि च । न शक्यन्ते क्रमेणेह वक्तुं यैर् विततं जगत् ॥ ७५.३ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 75.3

Transliteration

dvīpabhedasahasrāṇi saptasvantargatāni ca | na śakyante krameṇeha vaktuṃ yair vitataṃ jagat || 75.3 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Tysiące podziałów dwipów oraz te zawarte w siedmiu głównych nie mogą tu być wyliczone we właściwej kolejności; przez nie świat jest rozpostarty.

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Word by Word

• द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि: thousands of divisions of continents
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (द्वीपानां भेदानां सहस्राणि)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of शक्यन्ते)
• Root: द्वीप + भेद + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• सप्तसु: in the seven
• Type: Adjective
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्तर्गतानि: included within
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषण (to द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि)
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival)
• Root: अन्तर् + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
• Role: निषेध (Negation)
• Root: न (अव्यय)

• शक्यन्ते: are possible/can be
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: 'are possible')
• Role: क्रिया (Main verb; passive)
• Root: शक् (धातु)

• क्रमेण: in order/stepwise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (instrumental of manner)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)

• इह: here
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)
• Role: अधिकरण (Location/Adverbial)
• Root: इह (अव्यय)

• वक्तुम्: to say/describe
• Type: Verb
• Form: तुमुन्-अन्त (infinitive), परस्मैपद-धातु; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)
• Role: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)

• यैः: by which
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)
• Role: करण (Instrument; 'by which')
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• विततम्: spread/extended
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival to जगत्)
• Root: वि + तन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• जगत्: the world
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of vitatam as predicate adjective)
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• सप्तस्वन्तर्गतानि = सप्तसु + अन्तर्गतानि (उ + अ → व)
• क्रमेणेह = क्रमेण + इह (ण् + इ → णे)
• यैर् = यैः (विसर्ग-लोप before voiced consonant)

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Cosmographic taxonomy

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious

What she asks

Why can the innumerable dvīpa-divisions not be fully enumerated, and how do they collectively constitute the spread of the world?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Epistemic humility

Subjects

CosmologyGeography

Core idea

Totality exceeds exhaustive listing.

In practice

Prioritize grasping governing principles (sapta-dvīpa framework) over obsession with infinite particulars; cultivate reverence for the immeasurable.

Symbolism of the boar

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography
• Cosmological Taxonomy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic method of presenting cosmological geography: acknowledging extensive enumerations (dvīpa subdivisions) while indicating the limits of exhaustive listing within a single chapter, which helps situate the text within broader Sanskrit cosmographic traditions.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single named location is specified in this verse; it refers generically to dvīpas (cosmic continents/islands) and to the framework of seven principal dvīpas used in Purāṇic cosmology.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct ethical rule, the verse conveys an epistemic principle: the world’s expanse and complexity exceed complete sequential narration, encouraging methodological humility in cataloguing cosmological/geographical knowledge.