46 - Dvipas and their lords

Sūta said: 

1.    The Earth consists of seven continents.281 It is full of rivers

and mountains. It is surrounded by seven oceans 282 all round and embellished by them.

281. seven continents: p. 71, note 89. The verse 2 of this ch. mentions their names. On the identification of these dvipas on the basis of climatic and vegetation data available in the Purānas, see S. M. Ali, op. cit. Ch. II. 

282. samudraiḥ saptabhiḥ- by seven seas. According to S. M. Ali, samudra does not necessarily mean 'a watery sea'. The Puräņic sea can be a large expanse of sand as well as water. The sea of sand and that of water as barriers to human settlement and movement are synonymous when considering the geography of the inhabited world.”  

2. The seven continents beginning with the inner one are Jambû, Plakșha, Shālmali, Kusha, Krauncha, Shäka and Pușhkara. 

3. Lord Shiva is present in all the seven continents, accompanied by Umā (his consort), surrounded by the Ganas, and assuming different guises. 

4-5. The seven oceans in order are those having, (1) briny water, (2) sugareane juice, (3) wine, (4) ghee, (5) curds, (6) milk and (7) sweet water. In all these oceans the glorious lord Shiva assumes the form of water and sports with the waves along with the Gaņas. 

6. Lord Vișhnu always sleeps in yogic slumber in the milky ocean as though he were the nectar from that, with his intellect concentrated on the knowledge of Shiva. 

7. When the lord wakes up, the entire universe wakes up; when he is asleep it is also asleep; the mobile and immobile beings are identical with him. 

8. With the favour of Parameșhthin lord of Devas, everything was created, held, protected, and annihilated by him alone. 

9. O excellent sages, those who are well known as sușhenas worship Aniruddha the leading Purușha holding conch, discus and iron club. 

10-14. O sages, most excellent among the knowers of Ātman! those who meditate on Aniruddha Purușha are all similar to Vișhņu and become endowed with all riches. Sanandana, Sanaka, Sanātana, Vālakhilyas, Siddhas, Mitra and Varuņa these all worship Vișhnu who is the origin of the universe. In all the seven continents there are lofty mountains, some rising to great heights, some extending as far as the oceans, others having many peaks and caves. There were many kings in these continents who were overlords and who ruled with efficiency according to the demands of the period. They were powerful, thanks to the lord (Śhiva), the father of the enemy of Krauńcha 283 (i. e. Kärttikeya).

283. Kraucarih: the enemy of Krauncha, i.e., Kärttikeya, so called because he split the Himalaya range Krauncha, situated in the eastern part of the chain on the north of Assam. 

15-18. I shall mention the kings in all the manvantaras past and future, beginning with those in the Svāyambhuva manvantara. The grandsons of Svayambhuva Manu were all very strong, with similar status, honour and identical purposes. They were the heroic sons of Priyavrata,284 and they are reputed to be ten,285 viz., Agnidhra, Agnibāhu, Medhā, Medhātithi, Vasu, Jyotishmān, Dyutimän, Havya, Savana and Putra. Priyavrata crowned seven of them as kings over the seven continents. 

284. Priyavrata, son of Svāyambhuva Manu and Shatarūpā. 

285. Though the number is the same, their name differs in the Puranas. 

19-24. He made Agnidhra the lord of Jambūdvipa and Medhātithi the king of Plakshadvipa. He crowned Vapușhmãn the king of Shālmali, Jyotișhmān the king of Kuśhadvipa, Dyutimän the king of Krauňchadvipa, Havya the lord of Shākadvipa. O sages of good holy rites, he made Savana the overlord of Pușhkara. Savana had two sons Mahāvira and Dhātakī. They were most excellent that men could have. The kingdom of Mahāvīra is known as Mahāvira Varșha after the name of that noble soul. The kingdom of Dhātaki is called Dhătakikhanda.286 Havya the lord of Shakadvipa procreated seven sons.

286. Dhätaki Khanda. Prof. Ali identifies this with the Gobi Desert on the west of Khingan range in the Japanese Highlands. See The Geography of the Puranas, p. 287. 

25. They were Jalada, Kumāra, Sukumāra, Manichaka, Kusumottara, Modāki and Mahädruma. 

26-29. The Varsha continent of Talada is called (1) Talada; the Varsha of Kumāra is called (2) Kaumära; that of Sukumära is glorified as (3) Sukumara; the Varsha of Manichaka is called (4) Māņichaka; the Varșha of Kusumottara is (5) Kusumottara, the Varsha of Modāki is glorified as (6) Modaka; after the name of Mahädruma, the next Varșha is (7) Mahādruma; all the seven Varshas are thus named after their rulers. 

30-34. Dyutimän, the lord of Krauncha Dvipa had seven sons named Kušhala, Manuga, Ușhņa, Pivara, Andhakāraka, Muni and Dundubhi who had splendid sub-continents named after them, in the Krauncha Dvīpa. The sub-continent of Kusala is Kushala; that of Manuga is Manonuga; that of Ușhņa is Ușhņa; that of Pivara is Pivara; the land of Andhakära is Andhakāraka; the land of Muni is called Muni and that of Dundubhi is Dundubhi. These seven shining countries are in Krauñcha Dvīpa. 

In the Kushadvipa, Jyotișhmān had seven powerful sons. 

35. They were Udbhida, Venumān, Dvairatha, Lavana, Dhruti, Prabhākara and Kapila. 

36-37. The first Varsha is Udbhida; the second is Veņumandala; the third is Dvairatha; the fourth is Lavaņa; the fifth is Dhrutimat; the sixth is Prabhākara, and the seventh is Kāpila. 

38-41. The seven sons of Vapushmān were the rulers of various countries of Shālmali Dvipa. They were Shveta, Harita, Jimūta, Rohita, Vaidyuta, Mānasa and Suprabha; The land of Shveta is Shveta; that of Harita, Härita; that of Jimūta is Jimûta; that of Rohita is Rohita; that of Vaidyuta is Vaidyuta; that of Månasa is Mänasa and that of Suprabha is Suprabha; thus there are seven countries marked after the names of their rulers. I shall mention the divisions in the Plakshadvipa that is beyond Jambūdvīpa. 

42-45. Medhātithi had seven sons; they were the kings of Plaksha Dvipa which consists of seven Varșhas. The eldest among the sons was Shāntabhaya. After him were Shishira; Sukhodaya, Ananda; Shiva, Kșhemaka and Dhruva. The continent was divided into seven Varshas and named after these sons. Formerly in the Svāyambhuva manvantara these Varșhas were colonised by them. Subjects endowed with the discipline of four castes and four stages of life were colonised in the Varșhas by those sons of Medhãtithi, the residents of Plakșhadvipa. 

46-47. In the five continents beginning with Plakshadvīpa and ending with Shäkadvipa, the Dharma, was promulgated in accordance with the division of four castes and four stages of life. O excellent brahmins, in these five Dvipas, happiness, span of life, handsome features, strength and Dharma were their individual characteristics respectively. 

48-49. The characteristic common to all the five continents was that the subjects there were all perpetually engaged in the worship of Rudra and devoted to Maheśhvara. The kings born in the Pușhkaradvipa enjoy the nectar of their devout feelings towards Prajāpati and Rudra.