Vamana Purana — Structure of Jambudvipa, Shloka 36
The Structure of Jambudvipa: Nine Varshas, Navadvipa Bharata, Mountains, Rivers, and Peoples
वृकाः शबरकौवीराः सभूलिङ्गा जनास्त्विमे शकाश्चैव समशका मध्यदेश्य जनास्त्विमे
vṛkāḥ śabarakauvīrāḥ sabhūliṅgā janāstvime śakāścaiva samaśakā madhyadeśya janāstvime
“Ang mga taong ito ay ang Vṛka, ang Śabara, ang Kauvīra, kasama ang mga Bhūliṅga. At ang mga ito naman ay ang Śaka at ang Samaśaka—sila ang mga mamamayan ng Madhyadeśa, ang Gitnang Lupain.”
{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
By naming both ‘central’ (madhyadeśya) and peripheral groups, the text presents a unified civilizational field. The implied ethic is that dharma’s scope is not confined to one polity; sacred order encompasses varied communities.
This is ancillary descriptive material (deśa/people catalogues) commonly embedded within Purāṇas. It does not directly serve sarga/pratisarga, but supports the Purāṇic aim of mapping the world inhabited by lineages and traditions.
‘Madhyadeśa’ functions as a symbolic center of dharmic geography; the inclusion of Śakas/others reflects the Purāṇic habit of integrating historically visible groups into a cosmological narrative frame.