Dhūtapāpā (River)

Dhūtapāpā · dhūta-pāpā, “she by whom pāpa is shaken off”

Dhūtapāpā is a river of Kuśa-dvīpa, one of the seven dvīpas of the earth. Lomaharshaṇa names it first among the rivers of that dvīpa in Chapter 20 of the Brahma Purāṇa, in his account to the munis of the dvīpas that lie beyond Jambūdvīpa. The rivers he names are Dhūtapāpā, Śivā, Pavitrā, Sammati, Vidyudambhas and Mahī, “and some others”. Besides these there are thousands of small streams, and they remove all pāpa (sin).

Kuśa-dvīpa

The varshas of Kuśa-dvīpa bear the names of the seven sons of King Jyotishmān: Udbhida, Veṇumān, Svairatha, Randhana, Dhṛti, Prabhākara and Kapila. Daityas, dānavas, devas, gandharvas, yakshas and kiṃpurushas live there together with humans. The four varṇas there, each devoted to its own dharma, are the Damas (brāhmaṇas), the Śushmiṇas (kshatriyas), the Snehas (vaiśyas) and the Māndahas (śūdras).

There the one to be worshipped is Janārdana in the form of Parabrahma. The people perform yajñas to Janārdana and so use up the fruit of their former puṇya, which would otherwise bring them birth as beings who hold an office; they desire only mukti, which is freedom from action.

The seven varsha mountains are Vidruma, Hemaśaila, Dyutimān, Pushṭimān, Kuśeśaya, Hari and Mandara. In the middle of the dvīpa stands a great clump of kuśa grass, and from it the dvīpa takes its name. The ocean of ghee is there, and beyond it lies Krauñca-dvīpa.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 20

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 20