Shloka 29

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

Sanskrit

लाङ्गूलिनी वंशकरा महेन्द्रप्रभवाः स्मृताः ।

ऋषिकुल्या कुमारी च मन्दगा मन्दवाहिनी ॥

Transliteration

lāṅgūlinī vaṃśakarā mahendraprabhavāḥ smṛtāḥ /

ṛṣikulyā kumārī ca mandagā mandavāhinī //

Translation

மஹேந்திர மலைத்தொடரிலிருந்து எழுந்ததாக லாங்கூலினீ, வம்ஷகரா நினைவுகூரப்படுகின்றன; மேலும் ரிஷிகுல்யா, குமாரீ, மந்தகா, மந்தவாஹினீ ஆகியனவும்.

Word by Word

• लाङ्गूलिनी: Lāṅgūlinī (river)
• लाङ्गूलिनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाङ्गूलिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वंशकरा: Vaṃśakarā (river)
• वंशकरा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंशकरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (वंशं करोति/जनयति इति)

• महेन्द्र-प्रभवाः: originating from Mahendra (mountain)
• महेन्द्र-प्रभवाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेन्द्र + प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः तत्पुरुषः (महेन्द्रात् प्रभवाः)

• स्मृताः: are said/are remembered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्तः भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle) ‘remembered/said’; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with implied ‘नद्यः’)

• ऋषिकुल्या: Ṛṣikulyā (river)
• ऋषिकुल्या: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषिकुल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ऋषीणां कुल्या)

• कुमारी: Kumārī (river)
• कुमारी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• मन्दगा: Mandagā (river)
• मन्दगा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दगा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (मन्दं गच्छति इति)

• मन्दवाहिनी: Mandavāhinī (river)
• मन्दवाहिनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दवाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (मन्दं वहति इति)

Speakers

• Catalogue narration (speaker not determinable from excerpt alone)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Geography
• Hydronymy (river naming)
• Mountain-region mapping

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Naming even lesser-known rivers places them within a sacred order; dharmically, it affirms that sanctity is not limited to famous tīrthas—local waters too deserve reverence and cleanliness.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ancillary deśa-varṇana; supports dharma and pilgrimage culture rather than narrating cosmic creation or dynasties.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Slow-flowing’ rivers (manda-) suggest steadiness and persistence: spiritual progress can be gradual yet continuous, like water shaping land over time.