Bhuvana-vinyāsa: The Layout of the Worlds

Bhuvana-vinyāsa means “the arrangement of the worlds”. It is a detailed map of the whole visible universe. It tells where each kind of being lives and names the mountains, rivers, forests and holy lakes found at every level of the world. At the centre stands Meru Parvata, the great mountain at the heart of Jambūdvīpa (the central continent). From Meru the description moves outward through Jambūdvīpa and beyond.

Chapters 36 to 49 of the Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa give the fullest Bhuvana-vinyāsa found in any Purāṇa. They describe the four divine gardens of Meru and the homes of the devas, yakṣas, gandharvas, nāgas, asuras, vidyādharas, kinnaras and rākṣasas. They also describe the four great rivers of Ilāvṛta-varṣa, the whole river system of Bhārata-varṣa, the blessed land of Uttara-Kuru, Mount Kailāsa, and Kubera’s city Alakā.

Meru’s Four Divine Gardens and Four Holy Lakes

On the summit and slopes of Meru Parvata, the central pillar of Jambūdvīpa, Brahmā set up four splendid gardens (udyānavana) and four great lakes for the devas.

The Four Gardens

Four gardens stand at the four directions of Meru’s summit:

These gardens are always full of the flowers and fruits of every season at once. They ring with the songs of kokilas (cuckoos), cakravākas (ruddy geese), parrots, peacocks and divine birds, and with the humming of golden bees. The wind carries the scent of the Pārijāta flowers from Indra’s Nandana garden a full hundred yojanas (a yojana is a long measure of distance) in every direction.

The Four Holy Lakes of Ilāvṛta

Four great lakes lie around Meru at the four directions of Ilāvṛta-varṣa, the central region:

The devas can always reach these lakes. Their water is pure, cool and sweet, and is said to nourish like amṛta (the nectar of immortality). The lotuses in them are golden, with stalks of vaiḍūrya (cat’s-eye gem), stamens of vajra (diamond), and a rich fragrance. Siddhas (perfected beings), devas, asuras and great munis bathe in these lakes.

Brahmā’s City on the Summit of Meru

On the very top of Meru stands Brahmā’s golden city, Brahmapura. This great city stretches one hundred thousand yojanas in every direction from its centre. It shines as brightly as ten thousand suns, yet it stays cool and pleasant. Around it, at the eight main and in-between directions, stand the cities of the eight loka-pālas (guardians of the directions):

• Amarāvatī (Indra, east)
• Saṃyamanī (Yama, south)
• Nimlocinī (Varuṇa, west)
• Vibhāvarī (Soma, north)
• Tejovatī (Agni, south-east)
• Kṛṣṇāñjanā (Nirṛti, south-west)
• Śraddhāvatī (Vāyu, north-west)
• Mahodayā (Īśāna, north-east)

Human beings cannot reach the city of Brahmā. Only devas, siddhas and great ṛṣis of perfect conduct may enter it.

The Four Pillar-Mountains and Who Lives There

At the four directions of Ilāvṛta-varṣa stand four smaller mountains, secondary peaks of Meru, which act like great pillars:

• Mandara (east): Indra’s Pārijāta forest blooms on its slopes; gandharvas and apsarases play here
• Supārśva (west): home of the great jambū tree, whose fruits give rise to the Jāmbūnada river of gold
• Kumuda (north): the home of yakṣas, with great forests of kadamba and jambū trees
• Gandhamādana (south): visited by siddhas, munis and cāraṇas (divine singers)

On the peak of Mandara, Indra’s realm holds the Pārijāta forest. The Pārijāta is called the most auspicious tree in the three worlds. Its fragrant flowers have the soft red colour of sunrise and can be seen from every direction. The wind carries their scent a full hundred yojanas. The wells and ponds on Mandara’s slopes hold golden lotuses with vaiḍūrya stems that never fade and are always in bloom. Gandharvas, apsarases, yakṣas and kinnaras live in the caves and forests of Mandara.

Where the Other Beings Live

Yakṣas and Gandharvas

The yakṣas (nature spirits and guardians of wealth) live mainly in the mountains around Meru: in the valley-caves of the pillar-mountains, in the groves of the kula-parvatas (the main mountain ranges), and on the forested slopes. Their palaces gleam with jewels and are surrounded by gardens of golden flowers and divine scent. Gandharvas (divine musicians) live in the forests and valleys below the Himālaya. Their caves ring with the music of the vīṇā and with song. In the divine forests of Ilāvṛta they play with the apsarases (divine dancers).

Vidyādharas and Kinnaras

Vidyādharas live mostly on the slopes of the Himavān ranges. They are beautiful semi-divine beings who can fly and who are masters of mantras and vidyā (sacred knowledge). Kinnaras have both human and animal features and are masters of divine music. They live in the deep mountain valleys, especially in the caverns of the great ranges, where their music fills the gorges like the sound of waterfalls.

Nāgas

The nāgas (divine serpent beings) live both below the earth and in high mountain strongholds. The great nāga kings have splendid cities that glow with the light of the gems in their hoods. These cities have serpent-like buildings and are surrounded by the scent of divine flowers. The chief nāga capital is Bhogavatī, ruled by Vāsuki.

Rākṣasas

The rākṣasas live in deep forests, in island fortresses and in pātāla (the lower worlds). Their main homes are Laṅkā, described as a great island, and the dark forests of Daṇḍakāraṇya. The Bhuvana-vinyāsa describes their fortresses as built of black rock, ringed with poisonous thorns, and guarded by fierce serpents.

Asuras

The great asuras (the daityas and dānavas) live mainly in the pātāla regions below the earth. Their fortresses there are said to be even grander than the cities of the devas. They are built of jewels and gold and shine with their own light, because sunlight does not reach pātāla. Bali lives in the deepest pātāla. Great asura chiefs, such as those of the line of Hiraṇyakaśipu, have cities of great splendour below the world.

The Rivers of Jambūdvīpa

From the four great lakes of Ilāvṛta-varṣa, four great rivers flow out in the four directions:

• Sītā flows east from Meru’s lake, through Bhadrāśva-varṣa, and at last enters the eastern sea
• Alakanandā flows south through Bhārata-varṣa, carrying Jāmbūnada gold in its waters
• Cakṣu flows west through Ketumāla-varṣa and enters the western ocean
• Sindhu (Mahāsindhu) flows north through Uttara-Kuru and enters the northern ocean

These four are said to be the first rivers of the universe. They flow from the holy lakes that receive the golden, mineral-rich streams of Meru. Their waters are described as sweet as nectar. They cure all disease and give long life to those who drink them.

The Rivers of Bhārata-varṣa

The Vāyu Purāṇa gives a full list of the rivers of Bhārata-varṣa (the land of India). The main rivers are:

Rivers that rise in the Himālaya and the north (flowing to the eastern or southern sea):

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Sarasvatī
• Śatadru (Sutlej)
• Vitastā (Jhelum)
• Candrabhāgā (Chenab)
• Vipāśā (Beas)
• Sindhu
• Svarṇabhūmikā

Rivers of central India and the Deccan:

• Narmadā
• Surā
• Godāvarī
• Kṛṣṇā
• Tuṅgabhadrā (Pampā)
• Kāverī
• Tāmraparṇī

Eastern rivers (flowing to the Bay of Bengal):

• Mahānadī
• Vaṃśadhārā
• Ṛṣikulyā
• Gaṇḍakī

The Gaṅgā holds the central place among all rivers. She is the source of all purity. She begins at Viṣṇu’s dhruva-pada (his fixed foot), flows down through Śiva’s jaṭā (matted locks), and reaches the plains of Bhārata. The text describes several branches of the Gaṅgā. Flowing east she becomes the Bhāgīrathī and enters the Indian Ocean; flowing in other directions she becomes various other streams.

Uttara-Kuru: The Blessed Northern Land

Uttara-Kuru is the northernmost varṣa (region) of Jambūdvīpa. It lies directly north of Meru, beyond the Śṛṅgavant mountain range, and is a land of holy happiness. There is no old age, disease, sorrow or death there:

• The people of Uttara-Kuru are born in pairs, a male and a female together, and live their whole natural lifespan without illness
• They live on the fruit of kṣīravṛkṣas (milk-trees), madhuvṛkṣas (honey-trees) and madhu-taila-vṛkṣas (honey-oil trees), which are said to be more nourishing than amṛta
• Jewel-trees give beautiful garlands, fine clothes and ornaments on their own
• Sweet-water lakes are bordered by divine flowers that never fade
• The music of kinnaras fills the valleys, and gandharvas play in the forests
• Nāgas and siddhas guard the region

The Vāyu Purāṇa says clearly that in Uttara-Kuru there is no division of varṇa (social order) or āśrama (stage of life). Dharma and adharma, truth and untruth, and the cycle of the yugas (ages) do not operate there. The region lies beyond the reach of ordinary karma.

Kailāsa: The Holy Mountain of Śiva

Kailāsa is described as a shining white mountain to the north of Meru. It rises above the clouds and can be seen from every direction because of its crystal-like brilliance. Its slopes show remarkable patterns of minerals: streaks of blue, crimson, yellow and silver ore that look like natural paintings on the rock. The Vāyu Purāṇa describes Kailāsa in vivid detail:

• Cakravāka birds fill its slopes, and peacocks and cranes dance on its terraces
• Waterfalls echo through its gorges, and icy streams carry flowers in their current
• Siddhas and cāraṇas live in its caves, practising yoga in deep samādhi (complete meditative absorption)
• In the valleys below Kailāsa lie the great lotus-lake Mānasa and the source of the Alakanandā
• The mountain has many guhās (caves) where kinnaras make divine music

Most important of all, the Bhūtavaṭa stands at Kailāsa. It is Śiva’s great vaṭa (banyan) tree; some accounts describe it as an aśvattha (sacred fig). Śiva’s attendants, the bhūtagaṇas, live there forever, singing his praises. This is the eternal home of Bhagavān Mahādeva and Pārvatī Devī. Śiva’s presence fills the whole region around Kailāsa, so that even its rocks and waters grant liberation.

Alakā: The City of Kubera

Alakā, the divine capital of Kubera (the master of wealth), lies near Kailāsa on the lower slopes of the Himālaya. It is described as a city of unmatched splendour:

• Golden walls set with every kind of precious gem
• Jewelled gateways in the four directions, each guarded by yakṣa warriors
• Gardens of divine trees that bear fruit and flowers in endless plenty
• The nine Nava-nidhis (the great treasures): Padma, Mahāpadma, Nanda, Mukunda, Nīla, Makara, Kacchapa, Śaṅkha and Kharva, kept in Kubera’s palace
• Gandharvas, kinnaras, yakṣiṇīs and divine musicians who fill the city with constant celebration
• Kubera’s palace hall, said to be brighter than the sun, covered in gold, and adorned with vimānas (flying palaces)

Only beings with great puṇya (merit) from their karma, and those whom Kubera himself invites, may enter Alakā. The city stands for the highest wealth and plenty in the universe, at the edge of the holy Himālayan region.

Bhārata-varṣa: The Karma-bhūmi

Among all the varṣas of Jambūdvīpa, Bhārata-varṣa has a special place. It is the karma-bhūmi, the “land of action”, where beings earn puṇya (merit) and pāpa (demerit) through their deeds. The text says:

“In the eight other varṣas people live a full yuga without any suffering; but only in Bhārata do actions (karma) have their consequences. Therefore beings from all the other varṣas and even from the devaloka seek birth in Bhārata.”

Bhārata-varṣa stretches from the Himālaya in the north to the ocean in the south, and from sea to sea in the east and west. It is divided into nine parts (khaṇḍas). The text describes the seven great mountain ranges of Bhārata together with their holy streams: Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Śuktimān, Vindhya, Pāriyātra and Ṛkṣavān.

Sources

• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 36–49
• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 36 (Meru’s gardens and lakes; Mandara and the pillar-mountains)
• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 37 (Brahmā’s city)
• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 38–40 (yakṣas, gandharvas, vidyādharas, kinnaras)
• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 43–47 (rivers of Jambūdvīpa and Bhārata-varṣa; nāgas; rākṣasas; Uttara-Kuru; Kailāsa; Alakā)
• Vāyu Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 48–50 (asuras in pātāla)