Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 37

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

एकेक्षणा वाजिकेशा दीर्घग्रीवाः सचूलिकाः ।

अश्वकेशास्तथा पुच्छे जनाḥ कूर्मस्य संस्थिताः ॥

Transliteration

ekekṣaṇā vājikeśā dīrghagrīvāḥ sacūlikāḥ / aśvakeśās tathā pucche janāḥ kūrmasya saṃsthitāḥ

Translation

ஏகேக்ஷணர், வாஜிகேசர், தீர்கக்ரீவர், சசூலிகர், அஷ்வகேசர்—இம்மக்கள் கூர்ம (அண்டக் ஆமை) யின் வால் பகுதியில் இருப்பதாகச் சொல்லப்படுகிறது.

Word by Word

• एकेक्षणाः: Ekekṣaṇas (one-eyed; name)
• एकेक्षणाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषाम् ईक्षणम् एकम्/एकाक्षिणः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वाजिकेशाः: Vājikeśas (horse-haired; name)
• वाजिकेशाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्/वाजि + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां केशाः वाजिसदृशाः/वाजिनः इव); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• दीर्घग्रीवाः: Dīrghagrīvas (long-necked; name)
• दीर्घग्रीवाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीर्घ + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां ग्रीवा दीर्घा); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सचूलिकाः: Sacūlikas (with topknots; name)
• सचूलिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + चूलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि/सह-समास (येषां चूलिका अस्ति/चूलिकासहिताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अश्वकेशाः: Aśvakeśas (horse-haired; name)
• अश्वकेशाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व + केश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (येषां केशाः अश्वसदृशाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), समुच्चयार्थ (also)

• पुच्छे: in the tail
• पुच्छे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कूर्मस्य: of the tortoise
• कूर्मस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• संस्थिताः: are positioned/are situated
• संस्थिताः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय (predicative)

Speakers

• Frame not explicit in these verses (catalogue style within the Purāṇic narration)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmography
• Mythic body-mapping
• Ethnographic taxonomy

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The ‘tail of the tortoise’ imagery teaches a holistic worldview: even distant or unfamiliar peoples are given a defined place within the cosmic order.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna (world-structure). The bodily metaphor is a cosmographic device rather than a narrative of sarga/pratisarga.

What is the esoteric significance?

The Kūrma-body suggests that spatial peripheries (‘tail’) correspond to liminal zones—often home to ‘marvelous’ or stylized ethnonyms—marking boundaries of the known world.