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Varaha Purana 77.6: Adhyaya 77, Shloka 6

Measurements of Mount Meru, the Boundary Mountains, and the Four Directional Great Trees

महापादास्तु चत्वारो मेरोरथ चतुर्दिशम् । यैर्न चचाल विष्टब्धा सप्तद्वीपवती मही ॥ ७७.६ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 77.6

mahāpādāstu catvāro meror atha caturdiśam | yair na cacāla viṣṭabdhā saptadvīpavatī mahī || 77.6 ||

รอบเมรุทั้งสี่ทิศมีมหาปาทะสี่ประการเป็นเสาหลักใหญ่ ด้วยสิ่งเหล่านี้ค้ำจุนไว้ แผ่นดินผู้มีทวีปทั้งเจ็ดจึงมิได้หวั่นไหว

महापादाःgreat supports/pillars
महापादाः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमहापाद (प्रातिपदिक: महा + पाद)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास: महान्तः पादाः
तुindeed
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात
चत्वारःfour
चत्वारः:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसंख्या-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (agreeing with पादाः)
मेरोःof Meru
मेरोः:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootमेरु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन
अथthen/and
अथ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भार्थक (particle: 'then/and now')
चतुर्दिशम्in the four directions
चतुर्दिशम्:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्दिश् (प्रातिपदिक: चतुर् + दिश्)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (कर्म/अधिकरण-प्राय), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: चतस्रः दिशः (four directions)
यैःby which/whom
यैः:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन
नnot
न:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)
चचालmoved/shook
चचाल:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootचल् (धातु)
Formलिट् (परोक्शभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
विष्टब्धाpropped/supported
विष्टब्धा:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootवि + स्तभ् (धातु)
Formकृदन्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन (agreeing with मही)
सप्तद्वीपवतीhaving seven continents
सप्तद्वीपवती:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसप्तद्वीपवत् (प्रातिपदिक: सप्त + द्वीप + वत्)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: सप्त द्वीपाः यस्याः सा (possessive sense via -वत्)
महीthe earth
मही:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमही (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Varāha

C
Classical Literature
V
Vaishnavism
A
Ancient Geography
C
Cosmological Geography

FAQs

It preserves a Purāṇic cosmographic model in which Mount Meru functions as the central axis, with structural supports stabilizing the inhabited world (bhū-maṇḍala), reflecting premodern Indian geographic and cosmological imagination.

Mount Meru is named; in scholarship it is generally treated as a mythic cosmological axis rather than a single securely identifiable modern mountain, though it is sometimes compared (speculatively) with high Himalayan or Central Asian ranges in comparative studies.

The verse is primarily descriptive rather than prescriptive; its philosophical emphasis is on cosmic order and stability—an implied framework used elsewhere in Purāṇic literature to ground reflections on stewardship of the Earth and the maintenance of dharmic order.

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