Varaha Purana 86.21: Adhyaya 86, Shloka 21

Description of Śākadvīpa and Kuśadvīpa

Cosmographic Geography

Devanagari script

तस्मिंश्च प्रजाः श्यामत्वमापन्नाः सैव दुन्दुभिर्वर्ण्यते॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 86.21

Transliteration

tasmiṃś ca prajāḥ śyāmatvam āpannāḥ saiva dundubhir varṇyate

Translation

అక్కడ ప్రజలు శ్యామవర్ణాన్ని పొందారు; అదే ‘దుందుభి’ అని వర్ణించబడింది.

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Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• प्रजाः: creatures/people
• प्रजाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• श्यामत्वम्: darkness/blackness
• श्यामत्वम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; state attained)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्यामत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आपन्नाः: having attained
• आपन्नाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्तरि-भावे (used predicatively with subject)

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• दुन्दुभिः: Dundubhi (name; also ‘drum’)
• दुन्दुभिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject; predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वर्ण्यते: is described
• वर्ण्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmography
• Cultural Geography

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects how Purāṇic cosmography sometimes links regions with descriptive ethnographic markers, offering material for studying premodern geographic imagination.

Which geographic location is identified?

A locale in Kūśadvīpa associated with the name Dundubhi; precise modern correlation is not established in scholarship.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The statement is descriptive; it does not prescribe behavior.