Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 59, Shloka 15

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

Sanskrit

ये पिबन्ति महानद्यो वङ्क्षुं श्यामां सकम्बलाम् ।

अमोघां कामिनीं श्यामां तथैवान्याः सहस्रशः ॥

Transliteration

ye pibanti mahānadyō vaṅkṣuṃ śyāmāṃ sakambalām | amoghāṃ kāminīṃ śyāmāṃ tathaivānyāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Họ uống nước từ các đại hà: Vaṅkṣu, Śyāmā, Sakambalā, Amoghā, Kāminī, Śyāmā, và còn hàng nghìn sông khác nữa.

Word by Word

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun (सर्वनाम)

• pibanti: drink
• pibanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pā (पा धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, present), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• mahā-nadyaḥ: great rivers
• mahā-nadyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) 'mahā nadyaḥ'

• vaṅkṣum: Vaṅkṣu (river)
• vaṅkṣum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṅkṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); river-name

• śyāmām: Śyāmā (river)
• śyāmām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śyāmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); river-name

• sa-kambalām: together with Kambalā
• sa-kambalām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/स- उपसर्गसदृश) + kambalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); avyayībhāva-like formation (अव्ययीभाव) meaning 'together with Kambalā'

• amoghām: Amoghā (river)
• amoghām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amoghā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); river-name

• kāminīm: Kāminī (river)
• kāminīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); river-name

• śyāmām: Śyāmā (river)
• śyāmām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śyāmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); river-name (repeated)

• tathā: thus; likewise
• tathā: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): 'thus/so'

• eva: indeed
• eva: Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात): emphasis 'indeed/just'

• anyāḥ: other (rivers)
• anyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); understood 'nadyaḥ'

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• sahasraśaḥ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): 'by thousands'

Speakers

• Frame narrator (Purāṇic rishi voice) describing rivers and sustenance

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Sacred Geography
• Rivers

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Rivers are presented as life-sustaining arteries of a region; abundance and multiplicity indicate a world designed for nourishment and continuity of beings.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sthāna (regional features) with cosmographic cataloging.

What is the esoteric significance?

Named rivers can be read as ‘streams of prāṇa’ in the cosmic body—specific channels of vitality that define the character of a realm.