Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 59, Shloka 22

Adhyaya 59 — Cosmic Geography and Yuga-Order: Bhadrashva, Ketumala, and the Northern Kuru Region

Sanskrit

चतुर्दशसहस्राणि तेषां सार्धानि वै स्थितिः ।

चन्द्रकान्तश्च शैलेन्द्रः सूर्यकान्तस्तथापरः ॥

Transliteration

caturdaśa-sahasrāṇi teṣāṃ sārdhāni vai sthitiḥ | candrakāntaś ca śailendraḥ sūryakāntas tathāparaḥ ||

Translation

Ang lawak ng mga iyon ay labing-apat na libong yojana, at ang taas ay gayon din, at may dagdag pang kalahati. Naroon ang hari ng mga bundok na Candrakānta, at gayundin ang isa pa na tinatawag na Sūryakānta.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दशसहस्राणि: fourteen thousand (units)
• चतुर्दशसहस्राणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दश-सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (numeral compound)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; pronoun genitive plural

• सार्धानि: with an additional half; and a half more
• सार्धानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), बहुवचन; agreeing with चतुर्दशसहस्राणि

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis/assurance

• स्थितिः: the extent/measure; the total
• स्थितिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; abstract noun

• चन्द्रकान्तः: Candrakānta (name)
• चन्द्रकान्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र-कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (moon-beloved/‘moon-stone’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• शैलेन्द्रः: Śailendra (name; ‘lord of mountains’)
• शैलेन्द्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (lord of mountains)

• सूर्यकान्तः: Sūryakānta (name)
• सूर्यकान्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य-कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sun-beloved/‘sun-stone’)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), manner ‘thus/so’

• अपरः: another (one)
• अपरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; adjective used substantively

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya (narrator) addressing a brāhmaṇa interlocutor (frame context not explicit in these verses)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography
• Purāṇic measurements

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The passage reinforces the Purāṇic vision of an ordered cosmos: even distant regions are described with precise measures and named features, conveying that creation is intelligible and structured rather than random.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Primarily within 'Sarga'/'Pratisarga' adjunct material as cosmography (bhūvana-kośa/varṣa-parvata-varṇana), commonly embedded in Purāṇas alongside genealogies and manvantaras.

What is the esoteric significance?

Moon- and sun-associated mountains can be read symbolically as the polarity of soma/tejas (cool luminosity vs. fiery radiance), suggesting complementary cosmic principles sustaining the world-order.