Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 54, Shloka 13

Adhyaya 54 — Cosmography of Jambudvipa: Continents, Oceans, Varshas, and Mount Meru

Sanskrit

वेद्यर्धे दक्षिणे त्रीणि त्रीणि वर्षाणि चोत्तरे ।

इलावृतं तयोर्मध्ये चन्द्रार्धाकारवत् स्थितम् ॥

Transliteration

vedyardhe dakṣime trīṇi trīṇi varṣāṇi cottare | ilāvṛtaṃ tayor madhye candrārdhākāravat sthitam ||

Translation

Trong nửa phía nam của đàn tràng vũ trụ có ba miền, và trong nửa phía bắc cũng có ba miền. Giữa chúng là Ilāvṛta, nằm như hình bán nguyệt.

Word by Word

• vedi-ardhe: in the southern half (of the vedi-like division)
• vedi-ardhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedi (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘वेध्याः/वेदेः अर्धे’ = in the half of the altar/vedi)

• dakṣiṇe: in the south
• dakṣiṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (agreeing with vedi-ardhe)

• trīṇi: three
• trīṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; संख्याविशेषणम्

• trīṇi: three
• trīṇi: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्; संख्याविशेषणम्

• varṣāṇi: regions (varṣas)
• varṣāṇi: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः

• uttare: in the north
• uttare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (locative: ‘in the north’)

• ilā-vṛtam: Ilāvṛta (the central region)
• ilā-vṛtam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ilā (प्रातिपदिक) + vṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (इलया आवृतम् = ‘Ilā-covered’, proper name Ilāvṛta)

• tayoḥ: of those two (sides)
• tayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), द्विवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः; ‘मध्ये’ = in the middle (locative adverbial)

• candra-ardha-ākāra-vat: like a half-moon in shape
• candra-ardha-ākāra-vat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + ākāra (प्रातिपदिक) + -vat (वतुप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; वत्-प्रत्ययान्त-उपमानवाचक (similative adverb) ‘like the shape of a half-moon’

• sthitam: situated
• sthitam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘स्थित’ = situated

Speakers

• Unnamed Purāṇic narrator describing cosmic geography (frame-speakers not explicit in this excerpt)

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography
• Ilavrita
• Ritual-Cosmology Correspondence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

By mapping the world onto a ‘vedi’ (altar), the verse links cosmos and ritual: human worship is presented as participation in cosmic order.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily 'Sthāna' (world-structure), with a ritual-cosmology overlay typical of Purāṇic exposition.

What is the esoteric significance?

Ilāvṛta as the ‘middle’ suggests a hidden central realm—often interpreted as an inner sanctum of consciousness, not merely a physical geography.