Varaha Purana 82.8: Adhyaya 82, Shloka 8

The Descent of the Rivers: The Sky-Gaṅgā and Her Fourfold Division

Devanagari script

षष्टिं च योजनसहस्रं निरालम्बा पतमाना प्रदक्षिणमनुसरन्ती चतुर्द्धा जगाम।

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 82.8

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭiṃ ca yojanasahasraṃ nirālambā patamānā pradakṣiṇam anusaranti caturddhā jagāma.

Translation

Rozciąga się na sześćdziesiąt tysięcy jodżan; bez oparcia, opadając i płynąc w prawo, zgodnie z ruchem wskazówek zegara, rozdzieliła się na cztery strumienie.

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Word by Word

• षष्टिम्: sixty
• षष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (Sg.)

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

• योजनसहस्रम्: a thousand yojanas
• योजनसहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (Sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): 'योजनानां सहस्रम्'

• निरालम्बा: unsupported, without support
• निरालम्बा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरालम्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (Sg.); विशेषणम्

• पतमानā: falling
• पतमानā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (Sg.); वर्तमान-कालिक-कर्तरि (present active participle)

• प्रदक्षिणम्: to the right / clockwise
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverbial accusative used as indeclinable)

• अनुसरन्ती: following, moving along
• अनुसरन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + सृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन (Sg.); वर्तमान-कालिक-कर्तरि

• चतुर्धा: in four parts / fourfold
• चतुर्धा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चतुर्धा (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Sg.), परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Vaishnavism
• Ancient Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects Purāṇic cosmography, using standardized distance units (yojana) and schematic hydrology to describe the world’s sacred-geographical structure.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single modern location is specified; the verse uses a cosmographic framework describing a river or flow dividing into four streams.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Implicitly, it frames rivers and natural flows as ordered features of the world, supporting a cultural-heritage view of landscapes as structured and worthy of careful description.