Varaha Purana 75.28: Adhyaya 75, Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

तेषां मध्ये जनपदास्तानि वर्षाणि चैव तत् । प्रपातविषमैस्तैस्तु पर्वतैरावृतानि तु ॥ ७५.२८ ॥

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 75.28

Transliteration

teṣāṃ madhye janapadās tāni varṣāṇi caiva tat | prapāta-viṣamais tais tu parvatair āvṛtāni tu || 75.28 ||

Translation

तेषां मध्ये जनपदास्तथा वर्षाणि च सन्ति। तानि तु प्रपातविषमैः दुर्गमैः पर्वतैः सर्वतः आवृतानि॥

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Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मध्ये: in the middle/among
• मध्ये: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• जनपदाः: countries/settlements
• जनपदाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: विशेष्य/अन्वय (Correlative/linked referent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• वर्षाणि: regions (varṣas)
• वर्षाणि: सम्बन्ध/अपादेय (Apposition/linked noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विधेय/सम्बन्ध (Predicate/that)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रपात-विषमैः: uneven/rugged with precipices
• प्रपात-विषमैः: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रपात + विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (प्रपातेन विषमाः = rugged with precipices)

• तैः: by those
• तैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (adversative/contrast particle)

• पर्वतैः: by mountains
• पर्वतैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आवृतानि: covered/surrounded
• आवृतानि: कर्मणि-क्रिया (Passive predicate/कर्मणि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + वृत् (धातु) → आवृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विधेय—कर्मणि अर्थे (covered)

• तु: indeed
• तु: निपात (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/contrast)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ancient Geography
• Vaishnavism
• Environmental Description

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves Purāṇic-era geographic vocabulary (janapada, varṣa) and a conventional model of regions bounded by mountain ranges, useful for studying early Indian cosmographic description.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single named location is specified in this verse; it describes regions (varṣas) and their inhabited territories (janapadas) in general terms, bounded by mountainous terrain.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Rather than a direct ethical injunction, the verse offers a descriptive framework that can support environmental and cultural-heritage readings: human settlements are portrayed as situated within and constrained by natural landforms (mountains and precipices).