15 - The length and extent of the Earth: Description of Jambudvipa. 

Suta said:

1-3. On hearing about the settlement of the subjects thus, Samsapayani asked Sūta about the length and extent of the Earth* as it had been determined—"How many continents are there? How many oceans? How many mountains are proclaimed? How many are the Varshas (sub-continents)? What are the rivers declared therein? Mention all these things to us in detail and factually such as the magnitude of the great elements, the Lokaloka mountain, the transits, the extent and the movements of the moon as well as the sun.

* Vå.P.34.Ib reads: Pruthivyayama-vistarau. It is better than Bd.P.'s Pruthivyodadhivistaram. Hence Vå.P. reading accepted. 

Suta said:

4-6. O! I shall recount to you the length and extent of the earth, the number of the oceans and the number and extent of the islands. There are thousands of different islands that are included in the seven continents. They cannot be recounted in due order, because this world is studded and constantly surrounded by them). I shall recount the seven continents along with the moon, the sun and the planets. 

7-8a. Men mention their magnitudes by means of guess alone. One cannot arrive by means of guess alone, at those beings (or things) which cannot be even pondered upon. That which is beyond nature is called Achintya (that which cannot be even pondered upon). 

8b-10. I shall recount the Jambūdvipa as exists actually, consisting of nine Varşhas. Understand it through its extent and girth in terms of Yojanas. It is more than a hundred thousand Yojanas all round. It is full of different rural countries and different kinds of splendid cities. It is filled with Siddhas and Chåranas and is embellished with mountains. 

11. (It is full of mountains) endowed with all kinds of minerals originating from clusters of rocks. It is full of rivers flowing from mountains. 

12. Jambūdvipa is immense and glorious with huge zones all round. It is encircled by nine worlds that evolve a number of living beings. 

13. It is surrounded on all sides by the briny sea the extent of which is equal to that of Jambūdvipa itself. 

14.* The following are the six Varshaparvatası (Mountains dividing the sub-continents). They have good ridges. On either side they merge into the Eastern and Western oceans. 

*After verse 14 there read verse No.28 which tells: the six mountains are Nila, Nişhadha, Shveta, Hemaküta, Himavan and Shrungavån. 

1. The Varsha-parvatas are the mountains (mountain-chains) which divide one Varsha (sub-continent) from another. Thus they may be regarded as boundary mountains. The names and other characteristics are described in the following verse. Their geographical location is given in supra Ch.1 Footnotes on pp. 11, 12. 

15. Himavån is practically covered with snow. Hemakūta is full of Heman (gold). The great mountain Nişhadha is equally pleasant in all the seasons. 

16. Meru is remembered as the most beautiful.1 It has four colours (like four castes-Varnas). It is golden. On its top its extent is thirtytwo thousand Yojanas. 

1. There is a consensus among Puranas like KP., Mt.P., Mk.P., Vå.P., and Bd.P. about the shape and size of Meru. M. Ali points out that ancient Persians, Greeks, Chinese, Jews, and Arabs repeat the traditional nodality of Meru. After discussing the problem, he comes to the conclusion that Mt. Meru is identical with the Påmirs, in central Asia. 

His diagrammatic represenatation of the Jambūdvipa and its cross-section (Fig.4) on p.65 of Geog of the Puranas is interesting. 

17. It is circular in shape. It is symmetrical and very lofty. It is endowed with the qualities of Prajapati. It has different colours at its sides. 

18. It is originated from the umbilical cord of Brahma born of the unmanifest one. In the cast it is white in colour. Hence, it is on a par with the Brahmaņas. 

19. Its northern side has a natural red colour. Hence, the Kshatriya-hood of Meru on account of various reasons and purposes. (?) 

20-21. In the southern side it is yellow. So its Vaisyatva (state of being a Vaiśhya) is evident. In the West it is like the Bhrungapatra (A kind of leaf black in colour) all round. Hence it has the state of Shūdra. Thus the colours are recounted (as well as the castes). Its nature through colour and magnitude hag been explained. 

22. The Nila mountain is full of sapphires (has that colour). The Shveta is white and full of gold. Shrungavan has the colour of the peacock's tail and it is full of gold. 

23. All these lordly mountains are frequented by the Siddhas and Charaņas. Their internal diameter is said to be nine thousand Yojanas. 

24. The sub-continent of Ilavruta is in the middle of Mahameru. Its extent all around is thus nine thousand Yojanas. 

25. In its middle is the Mahameru like a smokeless fire. The southern side of Meru is like the middle of the altar. Its upper half is its upper surface. 

26. The Varšha-Parvatas which belong to the six Varshas are two thousand Yojanas in extent and in height. 

27-31a. Their length is said to be in accordance with the extent of Jambūdvipa. The two mountains, (Nīla and Nišhadha) are hundred thousand Yojanas long. The other four mountains are shorter than these. The mountains Shveta and Hemakūta are each ninety thousand Yojanas long. The mountains Himavån and Shrungavån are each eighty thousand Yojanas long. There are Janapadas (territories or counties) in between them. The Varshas are seven in number. They are encircled by mountains that are difficult to cross on account of steep precipices. They are criss-crossed with different kinds of rivers. It was impossible to travel from one Varšha to another (lit, they were mutually unapproachable). 

31b. Animals of different kinds live in them. This Haimavata sub-continent is well known by the name Bharata. 

32-34. Hemakūta is beyond this. It is remembered by the name Kimpurušha. Naişhadha sub-continent is beyond Hemakūta and it is called Harivarsha. Ilāvruta is beyond Harivarsha (and in the middle) of Meru. Nīla is beyond Ilavruta and it wellknown by the name Ramyaka. Shveta is beyond Ramyaka and it is wellknown as Hiranmaya. The sub-continent Śhrungavat is beyond Hiranmaya and it is remembered as Kuru. 

35. The two sub-continents in the south and the north should be known as situated in the form of a bow. Four others are stationed lengthwise and the middle one is Ilåvruta.1 

1. This Puråna supports the Sapta-dvipi (seven-continent) theory about the earth. The distribution of the continents may be represented as under. 

North:                                  (Uttara) Kuru Varsha

Śhrungavån Mt.

Hiranmaya Varsha

Shveta Mt.

Ramyaka Varsha

Nila Mt.

Ilávruta Varsha

Meru Mt. 

Ilavruta Varşha

Nişhadha Mt.

Hari Varsha

Hemakūta Mt.

Kimpuruşha Varsha 

Himaván (Himalaya) Mt.

South                                    Bharata or Haimavata Varsha

 Does the bowlike formation of these Varšhas suggest the spherical shape of the earth? 

36. Vedyardha which is on the hitherside of Nişhadha, is known as the southern Vedyardha and that which beyond the Nilavån is the northern Vedyardha.1 

1. Called Veyaddha in Jain (Ardha Magadhi) canon. 

37. In the southern side of Vedyardha, there are three Varshas and on the northern side of Vedyardha also there are three Varshas. Meru should be known as existing in between them and Ilåvruta is in the middle of Meru. 

38. To the south of the Nila and to the north of Nişhadha, there is a great mountain stretching to the north named Mälyaván.2 

2. Purăņas give different locations of Gandhamádana and Malyavån. So do modern scholars, as the names of extra-Indian mountains were adopted by the Indo-Aryans as they penetrated decp in the Indian Peninsula. Thus Mályaván due to its association with Gandhamadana and Meru should be identified with the Sarikol range, as Gandhamådana was the northern ridge of the great Hindukush arch with its northern extension, thc Khwaja Mahammad. The southern ridge of Hindukush is Nişhadha which merged into Northern Karakorum and Kunlun (M. Ali.-Grog. of Puranas, pp. 58-59). 

39. It stretches a thousand Yojanas from Nila to Nişhadha. It is glorified as one, thirtyfour thousand Yojanas in extension. 

40. The mountain Gandhamadana should be known as situated to its west. In length and extent, it is reputed to be like Mályavan. 

41. Meru, the golden mountain, is in the middle of two circles. That golden mountain has four colours. It is symmetrical and very lofty. 

42. The brilliant Sumeru shines, established like a king, it has the colour and brilliance of the midday sun. It is refulgent like the smokeless fire. 

43. It is eightyfour thousand Yojanas high. It has entered (down the ground level) sixteen thousand Yojanas. Its width is also sixteen thousand Yojanas. 

44. Since it is stationed like a platter its width on the top is thirtytwo thousand Yojanas. Its girth all round is three times its width. 

45-47. When the mass is circular the reckoning is triangular (?) (According to the triangular reckoning) its girth all round is fortyeight thousand Yojanas. Now the magnitude is recounted in the triangular reckoning. According to the quadrangular reckoning (?) the girth all round is laid down as sixtyfour thousand Yojanas. That mountain is highly divine and equipped with divine medicinal herbs. 

48-49. The entire mountain is surrounded by worlds splendid and golden. All the groups of the Devas, the Gandharvas the serpents, and the Rakšhasas are seen on that king of mountains, as well as the splendid groups of Apsaras. That mountain Meru is encircled by worlds causing welfare of living beings. 

50-53. Four lands (Realms) are established on the four sides. They are Bhadráśhvas (with east), Bharatas (south), Ketumālas in the west and the Kurus in the North1 which are the resorts of meritorious persons.

1. This appears to be the four-continent (Chatur-dvipi) theory about the earth where the distribution of Varshas is as follows: 

North 

(Uttara)-Kuru

 West. Ketumāla (Mt. Meru) Bhadrashvá. East

                                                            | 

Bharata 

South 

At the side of the Gandhamādana, there is this another great Gandika (hill?). It is charming and fascinating in all the seasons. It is auspicious and pleasant. East to West it extends to thirtytwo thousand Yojanas. The (gross) length is thirtyfour thousand Yojanas. The people Ketumalas of auspicious holy rites are established there. 

54. All the men there are black and very strong. They have great inherent vitality. The women have the colour and lustre of the petals of lilies. All of them are pleasing to behold. 

55. There is a great divine jack-tree there. It has all the six tastes. It is Ishvara (masterly and powerful). It is the son of Brahma. It is as swift as mind and wanders wherever it pleases. 

56. They drink the juice of its fruits and live for ten thousand years. 

At the side of the Mályaván, in the cast there is a wonderful Gandikå Hill? 

57. It has the same length and extent as the western Gandika. Bhadråśhvas1 should be known (as the people) there. They are always delighted in their minds. 

1. This seems to be modern China 

58. There is a forest of Bhadraśhälas (excellent silk cotton trees). The great tree is the Black Mango tree. The men there are white-complexioned, highly enthusiastic and endowed with strength. 

59. The women have the colour and lustre of the waterlilies. They are beautiful and pleasing to behold. They have the lunar brilliance and hue. Their faces resemble the moon. 

60. Their limbs are cool of touch like the moon. They have the odour of lilies. Their span of life is ten thousand years and is free from ailments. 

61-63. By drinking the juice of the black mango all of them have perpetual youth. 

To the south of the Shveta and to the north of the Nila, there is the Varsha (sub-continent) Ramanaka.2 Human beings are born there. They are free from impurities. They give importance to amorous dalliance. They are devoid of old age and bad odour. They are white-complexioned and richly endowed with nobility of birth. All of them are pleasing to behold. There also is a great Nyagrodha tree (holy fig tree) red (in colour). 

2. Identified with ancient Sogdiana as the description tallies with the land, plant-life and people of those times, M.Ali-Ibid. pp. 83-84. 

64-66. They maintain themselves by drinking the juice of its fruits. Those highly fortunate ones live for eleven thousand five hundred years. They are excellent men and are always full of delight. 

To the south of the Shrungavån and to the north of the Shveta there is the Varšha named Hairanvata.1 There is a river here, the Hairanvati. Men of great strength and good brilliance are born there. 

1. Hairanvata Varsha is closely associated with the river Hairanvati (mod. Zarafshan) both forms of the name of the river mean "The scatterer of gold'. In that case it must be presumed to be adjacent to Sogdiana-M.Ali. ibid. pp. 84,85. 

67-69. They are heroic Yakşhas of great inherent vitality. They are rich and pleasing to behold. They have great vigour and they live for eleven thousand five hundred years. 

In that Varšha, there is a great Lakucha (bread fruit) tree of six tastes. By drinking the juice of its fruits, they live without ailments. 

The Shrungavån has three great and lofty peaks. 

70. One of them (peaks) is full of Manis (jewels). One is golden and the third) one all sorts of Ratnas (precious stones); it is embellished with houses. 

71. To the north of Srugavan and to the south of the sea are the Kurus.2 That Varşha (sub-continent) is sacred and frequented by the Siddhas. 

2. Kuru or Uttarakuru: This region as described here and in other Purånas includes the basin of rivers-The Irutyah, the Ob, the Tobol, in other words "Western Siberian Regions' M.Ali-Op. cit. pp. 84,85. 

As M.Ali points out the main tree which is supposed to feed the population indicates the peculiar climate prevailing there. 

72. The trees there have Madhu (honey, wine) for its fruit. They put forth perpetual flowers, fruits and sprouts. They yield garments and ornaments by way of fruits. 

73. Some of the trees are very delightfully charming and they bestow all desires. They exude excellent honey full of sweet smell, colour and taste. 

74. Other trees are kšhirins (Milky ones) by name. They are very delightful and they always exude milk comparable to nectar having six tastes. 

75. The entire ground is full of jewels with fine golden particles for sand. It richly accords happiness in all seasons. It is devoid of mud and dust. It is splendid. 

76. Splendid human beings displaced and dropping down from the world of the Devas are born there. They are white complexioned and richly endowed with nobility of birth. All have steady perpetual youth. 

77-80. Women on a par with the celestial damsels give birth to twins. They drink the milk of the Kšhirin trees comparable to nectar. The twins are born in a trice and they grow together. Their conduct of life, habits, forms and features and lovable qualities are all equal. They love one another and have the same activities and practices as the Chakravāka birds (Ruddy geese). They are always free from ailments and devoid of sorrows. They resort to perpetual pleasure. They are of great vigour and vitality. They live for fourteen thousand five hundred years. They never carnally approach another man's wives.