45 - Bhuvana Kosha: Description of Seven Dvipas: Mountain ranges 

Suta said: 

1. This extensive cosmic egg consisting of fourteen parts has been described to you so far. Henceforth, I shall describe to you in detail the complete account of this earth. 

2. There are seven continents of which Jambūdvīpa is the most important. (The other continents are: Plakşha, Shālmali, Kuśha, Krauncha, Shaka and Puşhkara.1

       1. For their geographical location vide supra Ch. 40 Note 1

3. These seven great continents are encircled by seven oceans. The latter the continent, the greater it is in extent than the previous one, the latter ocean is said to be greater than the former. 

4. The seven oceans are: Kşhāroda (ocean of salt water). Ikşhurasoda (ocean of sugar-cane juice), Suroda (ocean of wine), Ghrutoda (ocean of ghee), Dadhyoda (ocean of curd) Kşhīra salila (ocean milk), svadūda (ocean of swect water). 

5. The earth alongwith the oceans and seven continents extends to fifty crores of Yojanas all round. 

6. Jambūdvipa is situated in the middle of continents. In its centre is the well-known mountain Mahāmeru that has the golden lustre.2

     2. Jambūdvipa is much bigger than the present India which may be identified with Puranic Bhārata-Varsha. As M. Ali, in the Gcography of the Purāvas, shows Mt. Meru is the Pamirs and the Puranic description Meru 'the pericarp of the earth etc. fits in well with the modern Pamirs. 

  7. Its height is eightyfour thousand Yojanas. It has gone sixteen thousand Yojanas down below. On the top it extends to thirtytwo thousand Yojanas. 

8. Its extent at its root (i.e. base) is sixteen thousand Yojanas all round. This mountain resembles the pericarp of the lotus of the Earth. 

9. To its south are the mountains Himavān, Hemakūta and Nişhadha. The Varsha (boundary) mountains to the north are Nīla, Shveta and Shrungin.1 

1. M. Ali identifies the Puranic mountains as follows: Himavān (the (Himalayas), Hemakūta (Kailasa Trans-Himalayan range), Nişhadha (Hindu Kush-Kunlun chain), Nila (Zarafshan-Trans-Alai-Tien Shan chain), Shveta (Nur Tau-Turkistan-Atbashi Chain), Śhrungin or Śhrungavān (Kara Tau-Kirghiz-Ketman chain). For details vide that great geographer's Geog. of the Puranas Ch. III (the mountain system of the Purăņas), pp. 47-59 and the diagrams therein. 

      10. The two middle ranges of mountains are a hundred thousand Yojanas in extent. The others are each ten thousand Yojanas less in order. Their height is two thousand Yojanas and the length is as much. 

11. Bhārata is the first Varşha (sub-continent); then is the Kimpuruşha Varşha, the other one is Harivarşha. O Brāhmaṇas, all these are to the South of Meru.2 

2. For the locations of these regions (varşhas) round Mt. Meru and other details vide M. Ali Ibid Chs. V-VIII. "Purāņa-writers are not geogra phers in the modern sense of the term. They recorded the old traditional information of the world known to their forefathers." As remarked by M. Ali: "It is crcditable that within a few paragraphs (the Puranic) authors have compressed much relevant information about practically unknown and very difficult lands without losing precision or proportion". -(Ibid., p. 87). This remark is applicablc to the description of all the Varshas of Jambū-dvipa despite the immense changes that have taken place during the last 2000 years. 

        12-13. Beyond Meru Ramyaka is the northern sub continent. Behind it is the Hiranmaya Varsha. Beyond it is the northern Kurus. These are in their order like the Bharata Varşha. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, each of these is nine thousand Yojanas in extent. In their middle is Ilavruta Varsha and the Meru rises above in its middle. 

14. On four sides of Mt. Meru, there is Ilāvruta which is nine thousand Yojanas in extent (on all sides of Meru). There are four mountains in Ilāvruta, O highly fortunate ones. 

15. They are as if constructed as the support of Mt. Meru and they are ten thousand Yojanas in height. The mountain to the east is Mandara and that to the south is Gandhamadana. 

16. The mountain Vipula is on the western side and Supārshva is on the northern mountain. On each of the mountains stands a Kadamba, a Jambū, a Pippala and a Vata (banyan) tree respectively. 

17. O great sages, the Jambū tree is the cause of the name of the continent, Jambūdvipa. The fruits of the Jambū tree are of the size of a huge elephant. 

18. They fall on the top of the mountain all round and they are shattered and strewn about. With the juice thereof the well-known Jambū river flows on the mountain. 

19. The river flows and it is drunk by the residents of the place whereby they have no perspiration, no bad odour, no old age nor any disability of sense-organs. 

20-21. Those pure-minded people do not get distressed. When the juice mixes up with the soil on its banks and gets completely dried up by wind it turns into gold called Jämbūnada of which Siddhas make their ornaments. The sub-continent called Bhadrāśhva is to the east of Meru and Ketumāla is to its west. 

22-24a. These two are sub-continents, O excellent sages, in between them is the sub-continent Ilavruta. The forest to the east is Chaitraratha, the forest to the south is Gandhamádana. The western forest should be known as Vaibhrāja, the northern forest is the forest of Savitru. The four lakes always worthy of being enjoyed by Devas are- Arunoda, Mahābhadra, Asitoda and Manasa.1 

1. Thesc lakes are around Mt. Meru as follows: Arunoda in the east, Mahābhadra in the north, Asitoda (rather Sitoda' as in the Vayu P.) in the west and Manasa in the south. 

24b-26. The following mountains are the residences of Siddhas. They are constructed by Devas viz. Shītānta, Kumudvān, Kururī, Mālyavān, Vaikanka, Maņiśhaila, the excellent mountains Vrukşhavan, Mahānila, Ruchaka, Shashibindu, Mandara, Veņumān, Megha, Nişhadha and Deva. 

27-30. To the east of the lake Arunoda is the Kesara mountain.2 So also are Trikūta, Saśhiras, Patanga, Ruchaka, Nishadha, Vasudhāra, Kalinga, Triśhikha, Samūla, Vasuvedi, Kururu Sānumăn, Tamrāta, Viśhāla, Kumuda, Venuparvata, Ekaśhrunga, Mahāśhaila, Gajaśhaila, Piñjaka, Panchaśhaila, Kailasa and Himavăn, the most excellent among the mountains. These are the prominent and excellent mountains frequented by Devas. 

2. The Purāņa-writer gives a poetic description of the mountain ranges that branch off from Mt. Meru (the Pamirs) in four directions, Meru is regarded as the pericarp of the lotus in the form of the earth and the mountain-ranges as the filaments. M. Ali locates most of them and shows that the information of the Puranic-writer is fairly accurate and not imaginary (Vide--The Geog. of the Puranas Chs. v-viii).

31-35. To the south of the lake Mahābhadra is the Kesara, mountain. So, also are the mountains Shikhivāsas, Vaidūrya, Kapila, Gandhamadana, Jārudhi, Surāmbu, the excellent mountain Sarvagandha, Supärshva, Supakşha, Kanka, Kapila, Viraja, Bhadrajāla, Sushaka, Mahābala, Añjana, Madhumān, Chitraśhrunga, Mahālaya, Kumuda, Mukuta, Pandura, Krishna, Pārijāta, Mahāśhaila, Kapiláchala, Suşheņa, Pundarīka and Mahamegha-All these are the kings of mountains resorted to by Siddhas and Gandharvas. 

36-39. To the west of the lake Asitoda is the Kesara mountain. So also are Shankhakūta, Vruşhabha, Hamsa, Näga, Kāläñjana, Shukraśhaila, Nīlakamala, Pārijāta, Mahāśhaila, Kanakhala, Puşhpaka, Sumegha, Väräha, Virajas, Mayūra, Kapila and Mahakapila. These are resorted to by Devas, Gandharvas, Siddhas and Yakshas. To the north of the lake Manasa lies mount Keśara. 

40. In between these important mountains, there are inner water reservoirs, lakes and forests. 

41. Sages, Siddhas and ascetics sanctified by meditation on Brahman inhabit there. They are delighted, free from all distresses and sorrows and have their Rajas attribute subdued.