Varaha Purana 77.9: Adhyaya 77, Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

पूर्वेण मन्दरस्तस्य दक्षिणे गन्धमादनः । विपुलः पश्चिमे पार्श्वे सुपार्श्वश्चोत्तरे स्थितः ॥ ७७.९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 77.9

Transliteration

pūrveṇa mandarastasya dakṣiṇe gandhamādanaḥ | vipulaḥ paścime pārśve supārśvaś cottare sthitaḥ || 77.9 ||

Translation

ทางทิศตะวันออกมีภูเขามันทร, ทิศใต้มีคันธมาทนะ; ด้านตะวันตกมีวิปุละ และทางทิศเหนือมีสุปารศวะตั้งอยู่।

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Word by Word

• pūrveṇa: to the east / on the eastern side
• pūrveṇa: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially = 'on the east side'

• mandaraḥ: Mandara (mountain)
• mandaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mandara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasya: of it/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• dakṣiṇe: in the south / on the southern side
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); 'in the south'

• gandhamādanaḥ: Gandhamādana (mountain)
• gandhamādanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha-mādana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: gandha + mādana = 'fragrance-causing' (name of mountain)

• vipulaḥ: Vipula (mountain)
• vipulaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• paścime: in the west / on the western side
• paścime: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); 'in the west'

• pārśve: at the side/flank
• pārśve: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• supārśvaḥ: Supārśva (mountain)
• supārśvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: su + pārśva = 'excellent Pārśva' (name)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• uttare: in the north / on the northern side
• uttare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); 'in the north'

• sthitaḥ: situated/standing
• sthitaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa / Predicative (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthita (कृदन्त; √sthā स्था)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; not explicit in this fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Cosmography
• Ancient Geography
• Sanskrit Studies

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It exemplifies Purāṇic cosmography by mapping named mountains through cardinal directions, reflecting pre-modern South Asian traditions of organizing sacred and cultural landscapes.

Which geographic location is identified?

The verse names Mandara, Gandhamādana, Vipula, and Supārśva as surrounding mountains; these are primarily mytho-geographical features in Purāṇic literature rather than unambiguous single modern sites.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

No direct ethical injunction is stated; the verse primarily functions as a descriptive locator within a sacred-geographical framework that can inform cultural heritage reading of landscapes.