Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 56, Shloka 10

Adhyaya 56 — The Descent and Fourfold Course of the Ganga; Jambudvipa’s Varshas and Their Conditions

Sanskrit

तान् प्लावयित्वा सम्प्राप्ता हिमवन्तं महागिरिम् ।

दधार तत्र तां शम्भुर्न मुमोच वृषध्वजः ॥

Transliteration

tān plāvayitvā saṃprāptā himavantaṃ mahāgirim /

dadhāra tatra tāṃ śambhurna mumoca vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Translation

Sau khi làm ngập các núi/vùng ấy, nàng đến Himavān, ngọn đại sơn. Tại đó, Śambhu (Śiva), Đấng mang cờ hiệu bò mộng, đã nâng giữ nàng và chưa buông thả nàng ngay.

Word by Word

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्लावयित्वा: having flooded
• प्लावयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लावय् (धातु; √प्लु causative)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), causative: ‘having flooded’

• सम्प्राप्ता: arrived
• सम्प्राप्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘she arrived’

• हिमवन्तम्: Himavat (Himalaya)
• हिमवन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत्/हिमवन् (प्रातिपदिक; पर्वत-नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• महा-गिरिम्: the great mountain
• महा-गिरिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महान् गिरिः’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; हिमवन्तम् इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• दधार: held/bore
• दधार: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु √धृ)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• ताम्: her/that (river)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शम्भुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक; शिव-नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• मुमोच: released/let go
• मुमोच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु √मुच्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वृष-ध्वजः: he whose banner is the bull (Śiva)
• वृष-ध्वजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष (प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘वृषः ध्वजः यस्य’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; शम्भोः विशेषण

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing narration)

Primary Deities

• Gaṅgā
• Śiva (Śambhu, Vṛṣadhvaja)
• Himavān (personified mountain)

Shakti Aspects

• Gaṅgā as Devī encountering Śiva (Gaṅgā-Śiva descent motif)

Key Themes

• Sacred Geography
• Cosmic regulation of divine power
• Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava convergence (Gaṅgā from Viṣṇu’s foot; borne by Śiva)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Even divine potency must be mediated: Śiva ‘bearing’ Gaṅgā expresses the principle that power becomes beneficial when contained, regulated, and rightly released.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna: sacred-mythic geography explaining how Gaṅgā becomes situated in the terrestrial world via Himālaya and Śiva.

What is the esoteric significance?

Śiva holding Gaṅgā can symbolize the yogic containment of the life-current: when consciousness (Śiva) stabilizes the descending energy (Gaṅgā/Śakti), it does not ‘spill’ destructively but becomes a controlled flow enabling purification.