Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 57, Shloka 4

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

Sanskrit

ये चास्य भेदाः यावन्तो यथावत् स्थितिरेव च ।

वर्षोऽयं द्विजशार्दूल ! ये चास्मिन् देशपर्वताः ॥

Transliteration

ye cāsya bhedā yāvanto yathāvat sthitir eva ca / varṣo 'yaṃ dvijaśārdūla! ye cāsmin deśaparvatāḥ

Translation

ఓ ద్విజశ్రేష్ఠ వ్యాఘ్రా, ఈ ప్రాంతానికి ఎన్ని విభాగాలు ఉన్నాయో, దాని యథోచిత విన్యాసం ఏమిటో, అలాగే ఈ వర్షంలో ఉన్న దేశాలు మరియు పర్వతాలను కూడా నాకు చెప్పండి.

Word by Word

• ye: which (those)
• ye: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• asya: of this (land)
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• bhedāḥ: divisions
• bhedāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• yāvantaḥ: as many as
• yāvantaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; correlative adjective (यावन्तः)

• yathāvat: properly
• yathāvat: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (यथावत् = properly, in due manner)

• sthitiḥ: condition/arrangement
• sthitiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (एव)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• varṣaḥ: region (varṣa)
• varṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; geographical division

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• dvijaśārdūla: O tiger among the twice-born
• dvijaśārdūla: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: dvijānāṃ śārdūlaḥ)

• ye: which (those)
• ye: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• asmin: in this
• asmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; demonstrative

• deśa-parvatāḥ: the countries and mountains
• deśa-parvatāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa + parvata (प्रातिपदिक); समास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; itaretara-dvandva (देशाः च पर्वताः च)

Speakers

• Krausṭuki to Mārkaṇḍeya

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Regional divisions
• Mountains and countries
• Textual cataloging impulse

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

By asking for ordered divisions and landmarks, the text models a dhārmic way of seeing the world: geography is not random but meaningful, supporting pilgrimage, identity, and the mapping of sacred duty onto land.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Directly within 'Sarga' (world-structure) and Purāṇic bhūgola—cataloguing lands and mountains.

What is the esoteric significance?

Mountains and regional divisions often function as symbolic ‘supports’ (ādhāras): stable peaks and bounded lands mirror inner disciplines and boundaries necessary for sādhana.