Adhyaya 57 — The Ninefold Divisions of Bharata: Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples
करतोया महागौरी दुर्गा चान्तःशिरा तथा ।
(ऋक्ष) (विन्ध्य) पादप्रसूता स्ता नद्यः पुण्यजलाḥ शुभाḥ ॥
karatoyā mahāgaurī durgā cāntaḥśirā tathā / (ṛkṣa) (vindhya) pādaprasūtās tā nadyaḥ puṇyajalāḥ śubhāḥ
(Mga ilog) Karatoyā, Mahāgaurī, Durgā, at gayundin ang Antaḥśirā—ang mga ilog na ito ay sinasabing nagmumula sa paanan ng (Ṛkṣa/Vindhya—di tiyak ang pagbasa), mapalad at may banal na tubig.
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The verse explicitly frames these rivers as ‘puṇyajalāḥ śubhāḥ’: ethical life includes honoring and protecting what purifies and sustains society—water as sacred trust.
A tīrtha-geography catalogue: while outside the five core topics, it complements dharma by mapping sacred resources and pilgrimage networks.
Calling waters ‘puṇya’ and ‘śubha’ points to the doctrine that purity is transmissible through contact—outer rites mirror inner transformation through sustained practice.