47 - Bharata sub-continent

Sūta Said: 

1. King Priyavrata crowned his eldest son Agnidhra who was the eldest inheritor and who was a loveable son of great strength, as the king of Jambūdvipa.287 

287. For detail, Ibid. p. 64 ff. 

2. O leading brahmins, he was an ascetic and a great devotee of Shiva. He was a young man engaged in the worship of Shiva. He was prosperous and intelligent, and he possessed many cows. 

3. He had nine sons at par with Prajapatis. All of them were followers of Maheśhvara and devoted to Mahādeva. 

4. His eldest son was known as Nābhi. Kimpurușha was his (Näbhi's) younger brother. The third son was Harivarșha. The fourth son was Ilāvruta. 

5. Ramya was the fifth; the sixth was Hiraņmān. Kuru was the seventh. Bhadrāśhva was the eighth. 

6. The ninth was Ketumāla. Understand their lands now. The subcontinent of Nābhi inherited from his father is called Vema which lies in the south. 

7. He gave Kimpurușha the subcontinent Hemakūta. He gave the subcontinent called Naishadha to Hari. 

8. To Ilāvruta he gave the midlands encircling the mountain Meru. He gave Ramya the subcontinent around Nilāchala. 

9. The subcontinent Shveta to the north of it was given to Hiranman. He gave Kuru the subcontinent Shrunga Varșha which is to the north of it. 

10. He gave the subcontinent round about Mālyavān to Bhadrāśhva. He gave Gandhamädana to Ketumāla. 

11-12. These are the nine great subcontinents in brief. After crowning his sons as the kings in those subcontinents, Agnidhra288 the virtuous became engaged in penance. After purifying himself by penance he became engaged in the study of the Vedas.

288. According to Linga, Agnidhra was the eldest son of Priyavrata. But according to a Väyu version he was the son of Priyavrata's daughter. 

13-15. After being engaged in the study of the Vedas he became engaged in meditation on Shiva. There is natural perfection in all the eight excellent subcontinents beginning with Kimpurușha. Without any strain the subjects are always happy. The opposite of joy is not seen in them. They have no fear from death or old age. They have neither Dharma nor Adharma. There is no distinction such as the excellent, the middling and the base. In all these eight subcontinents there are no subdivisions of yugas.  

16. Those who die in a holy centre of Rudra whether mobile or immobile whether devotees or casual visitors are reborn there. 

17. For their benefit eight holy centres were created by Rudra. In all those places Mahādeva was always present. 

18. By seeing Mahadeva in their hearts the residents of the eight holy centres were always happy. He alone was the greatest goal unto them all. 

19-20. I shall now recount the country of Nābhi marked by 'hima' (snow, i.e., Bhāratavarșha as mentioned below). The intelligent Nābhi begot a son of Merudevi, Rușhabha by name who was a great king adored by all kshatriyas. A heroic son Bharata was born to Rușhabha. He was the eldest among his hundred sons. 

21-25. Rușhabha who was fond of his son Bharata crowned him as king. By adopting the path of knowledge and detachment he conquered the serpents of his sense-organs; by all means he stabilised Iśhvara, the supreme Atman, within his own heart; he was immersed in devout feelings; he observed fasts; he wore bark garments and matted hair. He retired into darkness (i.e., solitary place). Devoid of all desires and his doubts all cleared, (in the end) he attained the great region of Shiva. He gave the subcontinent to the south of the mountain Himavat to Bharata. Hence learned men call that subcontinent as Bhārata Varșha289 after his name. Bharata's son was the virtuous Sumati. Bharata entrusted the kingdom to his care. After transferring the royal glory to his son, the king entered the forest for penance. 

289. Bhärata. Linga ascribes the origin of the name to King Bharata, the eldest of the hundred sons of Rușhabha and grandson of Nábhi. Cf. Vãyu 33. 51-52; Marka 53. 39-40. For detail see Bhāga 11.2. 15 17 and Sk I. 11. 37. 55-57. But according to Matsya 114-5-6, Bharata is the name of Manu himself who creates and supports the people here. For further detail, see Avasthi: Studies in Skandapurâna, pp. 17-23. Formerly Bhärata was known as Himavarșha or Haimavata Varsha.