SB 9.16.22 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

ददौ प्राचीं दिशं होत्रे ब्रह्मणे दक्षिणां दिशम् । अध्वर्यवे प्रतीचीं वै उद्गात्रे उत्तरां दिशम् ॥ २१ ॥ अन्येभ्योऽवान्तरदिश: कश्यपाय च मध्यत: । आर्यावर्तमुपद्रष्ट्रे सदस्येभ्यस्तत: परम् ॥ २२ ॥

Verse text

dadau prācīṁ diśaṁ hotre brahmaṇe dakṣiṇāṁ diśam adhvaryave pratīcīṁ vai udgātre uttarāṁ diśam anyebhyo ’vāntara-diśaḥ kaśyapāya ca madhyataḥ āryāvartam upadraṣṭre sadasyebhyas tataḥ param

Synonyms

dadau — gave as a gift ; prācīm — eastern ; diśam — direction ; hotre — unto the priest known as hotā ; brahmaṇe — unto the priest known as brahmā ; dakṣiṇām — southern ; diśam — direction ; adhvaryave — unto the priest known as adhvaryu ; pratīcīm — the western side ; vai — indeed ; udgātre — unto the priest known as udgātā ; uttarām — northern ; diśam — side ; anyebhyaḥ — unto the others ; avāntara — diśaḥ — the different corners (northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest) ; kaśyapāya — unto Kaśyapa Muni ; ca — also ; madhyataḥ — the middle portion ; āryāvartam — the portion known as Āryāvarta ; upadraṣṭre — unto the upadraṣṭā, the priest acting as overseer to hear and check the mantras ; sadasyebhyaḥ — unto the sadasyas, the associate priests ; tataḥ param — whatever remained .

Translation

After completing the sacrifice, Lord Paraśurāma gave the eastern direction to the hotā as a gift, the south to the brahmā, the west to the adhvaryu, the north to the udgātā, and the four corners — northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest — to the other priests. He gave the middle to Kaśyapa and the place known as Āryāvarta to the upadraṣṭā. Whatever remained he distributed among the sadasyas, the associate priests.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Paraśurāma gave the east to the hotā, the south to the brahmā, the west to the adhvaryu, the north to the udgātā, and the four corners—northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest—to the other priests. He gave the middle to Kaśyapa and the place known as Āryāvarta to the upadraṣṭā. Whatever remained he distributed among the attendant priests.

Purport

The tract of land in India between the Himālaya Mountains and the Vindhya Hills is called Āryāvarta.