Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 5

Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā: Descent, Cosmic Pathways, and Śiva’s Praise of Saṅkarṣaṇa

Devanagari script

तत्र चतुर्धा भिद्यमाना चतुर्भिर्नामभिश्चतुर्दिशमभिस्पन्दन्ती नदनदीपतिमेवाभिनिविशति सीतालकनन्दा चक्षुर्भद्रेति ॥ ५ ॥

Transliteration

tatra caturdhā bhidyamānā caturbhir nāmabhiś catur-diśam abhispandantī nada-nadī-patim evābhiniviśati sītālakanandā cakṣur bhadreti.

Translation

บนยอดเขาพระเมรุ น้ำคงคาแยกออกเป็นสี่สาย ไหลพุ่งไปสี่ทิศด้วยสี่นาม และท้ายที่สุดล้วนเข้าสู่มหาสมุทร ผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งสายน้ำทั้งปวง. สี่สายนั้นมีนามว่า สีตา อลกนันทา จักษุ และภัทรา.

Synonyms

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• caturdhā: fourfold
• caturdhā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: caturdhā (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/विभागवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘in four ways’)

• bhidyamānā: being divided
• bhidyamānā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhid (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शानच्, कर्मणि), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being divided’

• caturbhiḥ: with four
• caturbhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘by/with four’ (with nāmabhiḥ)

• nāmabhiḥ: names
• nāmabhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• catur-diśam: the four directions
• catur-diśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक) + diś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘the four directions’ (collective)

• abhispandantī: flowing toward
• abhispandantī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√spand (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘flowing/pulsating toward’

• nada-nadī-patim: the lord of rivers (the ocean)
• nada-nadī-patim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nada (प्रातिपदिक) + nadī (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘lord of rivers and streams’ (ocean)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात

• abhiniviśati: enters/flows into
• abhiniviśati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-ni-√viś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• sītā: Sītā (river)
• sītā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम (name of a branch)

• alakanandā: Alakanandā
• alakanandā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alakanandā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• cakṣuḥ: Cakṣu
• cakṣuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• bhadrā: Bhadrā
• bhadrā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• iti: thus (named)
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इति-निपात (quotative)

FAQs

What does Srimad Bhagavatam say about the rivers of Jambūdvīpa in Canto 5 Chapter 17?

This verse explains that a principal river in that region divides into four branches and flows in four directions as Sītā, Alakanandā, Cakṣu, and Bhadrā, finally merging into the ocean.

Who is speaking this description of sacred rivers in the Fifth Canto to whom?

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating the cosmological description of Jambūdvīpa to King Parīkṣit as part of the Fifth Canto’s account of the universe’s structure.

What is a practical spiritual takeaway from this verse about rivers merging into the ocean?

Just as many rivers ultimately enter one ocean, diverse paths of duty and purification should culminate in remembrance of and surrender to the Supreme Lord, the ultimate goal of all journeys.