Varaha Purana 86.23: Adhyaya 86, Shloka 23

Description of Śākadvīpa and Kuśadvīpa

Cosmographic Geography

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्सिद्धा इति कीर्तिताः प्रजानेकविधाः क्रीडन्तस्तस्यापरे रजतो नाम गिरिः सैव शाकोच्यते॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 86.23

Transliteration

tasmin siddhā iti kīrtitāḥ prajānekavidhāḥ krīḍantas tasyāpare rajato nāma giriḥ saiva śāko 'cyate

Translation

అక్కడ ప్రజలు ‘సిద్ధులు’ అని కీర్తింపబడుతున్నారు—అనేక విధాలుగా క్రీడిస్తూ; మరియు దాని అవతల ‘రజత’ అనే పర్వతం ఉంది, అదే ‘శాక’ అని కూడా అంటారు.

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Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/region)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• सिद्धाः: the Siddhas (perfected beings)
• सिद्धाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• इति: thus / as
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (उद्धरण-निपात)

• कीर्तिताः: are called / are described
• कीर्तिताः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त/क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; used predicatively ‘are called/are described’

• प्रजा: creatures / beings
• प्रजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• अनेकविधाः: of many kinds
• अनेकविधाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; adjective qualifying implied plural ‘(they are) of many kinds’

• क्रीडन्तः: playing / sporting
• क्रीडन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमानकृदन्त/शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; agreeing with ‘सिद्धाः’

• तस्य: of that / beyond that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• अपरे: in the further (region) / beyond
• अपरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (Vedic/epic locative form used adverbially)

• रजतः: Rajata (name)
• रजतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: Name-indicator particle (नाम-निपात)

• गिरिः: mountain
• गिरिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• सा: that (one)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

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

• शाकः: Śāka (name)
• शाकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; as a name

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Passive voice (कर्मणि), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmography
• Mythic Peoples
• Toponymy

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It combines ethnographic labeling (‘Siddhas’) with toponymy, a typical Purāṇic technique for sacralizing and systematizing imagined geographies.

Which geographic location is identified?

Rajata/Śāka mountain and a locale inhabited by ‘Siddhas’ within Kūśadvīpa; these remain primarily cosmographic entities.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No explicit moral directive; the text presents a structured world populated by distinct classes of beings.