Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 58, Shloka 12

Adhyaya 58 — The Kurma-Form of Narayana: Mapping Bharata through Nakshatras, Regions, and Planetary Afflictions

Sanskrit

तथा चन्द्रेश्वराश्चैव खशाश्च मगधास्तथा ।

गिरयो मैथिलाः शुभ्रास्तथा वदनदन्तुराः ॥

Transliteration

tathā candreśvarāś caiva khaśāś ca magadhās tathā | girayo maithilāḥ śubhrās tathā vadanadanturāḥ ||

Translation

同样还有旃陀罗伊湿伐罗族（Candreśvara）、佉娑族（Khasa）以及摩揭陀人（Magadha）；诸山岳；肤色明净的弥提罗人（Maithila）；并且还有伐陀那檀图罗族（Vadanadantura）。

Word by Word

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb/particle (समुच्चयार्थ)

• candreśvarāḥ: the Candreśvaras
• candreśvarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः), ‘चन्द्रस्य ईश्वराः’/‘चन्द्रेश्वर’ (name)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• khaśāḥ: the Khaśas
• khaśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• magadhāḥ: the Magadhas
• magadhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: magadha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb/particle (समुच्चयार्थ)

• girayaḥ: mountains
• girayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• maithilāḥ: the Maithilas
• maithilāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maithila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

• śubhrāḥ: bright/white
• śubhrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘maithilāḥ’ or a following implied group)

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb/particle (समुच्चयार्थ)

• vadana-danturāḥ: having protruding teeth
• vadana-danturāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vadana + dantura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; समासः—तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय, ‘वदने दन्तुराः’ = ‘having prominent teeth in the mouth’; विशेषणम् (of an implied group/people)

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Viṣṇu (Kūrma)

Key Themes

• Magadha/Videha references
• Ethnography
• Sacred geography

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The Purāṇa’s ‘world’ is simultaneously physical and cultural: peoples and mountains are listed in one breath. This encourages a worldview where human society and nature are co-ordered parts of dharma’s arena.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Sthiti—description of the world’s arrangement and its inhabitants.

What is the esoteric significance?

Pairing ethnonyms with ‘girayaḥ’ suggests that human traits and natural forms mirror each other within the cosmic body. The ‘śubhra’ epithet may encode auspicious valuation of certain regions within the omen-oriented mapping.