Mahī (River of Kuśa Dvīpa)

Mahī · mahī, “the earth”

Mahī has other meanings too: see all meanings of Mahī.

Mahī is a river of Kuśadvīpa, one of the seven dvīpas of the earth. Lomaharshaṇa names it 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. Thousands of small streams flow there too, and they remove all pāpa (sin).

Kuśadvīpa

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

The deva worshipped there is Janārdana in the form of Parabrahma. The people perform yajñas to Janārdana and so exhaust the fruit of their former puṇya, which would otherwise bring them birth as beings who hold an office; they desire only mukti (release), which is freedom from action.

Its 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 Purāṇa sets the ocean of surā round Kuśadvīpa, twice as wide as Śālmaladvīpa, and says that the ocean of ghee is there, ringed by Krauñcadvīpa.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 20

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 20