49 - Ilavruta sub-continent 

Süta said: 

1. The first Dvīpa, it is said, extends to a thousand yojana. The other Dvīpas successively extend to twice the previous one. 

2-3. The earth along with all the oceans is stated as extending to fifty crores of yojanas. It consists, of seven Dvipas. It is splendid and is surrounded by the Lokāloka mountain.²⁹³ The mountain Nila is to the north of the Meru. The Shveta is to the north of this and the Shrungi is still further north of Shveta. O brahmins, these three are the mountains of the sub-continents in the north.

293. Lokāloka-a belt of mountains bounding the outer-most of the seven seas and dividing the visible world from the regions of darkness. 

4. The Jathara²⁹⁴ and the Devakūţa²⁹⁵ are the mountains in the eastern quarter. The Nișhadha²⁹⁶ is to the south of the Meru. Still south of it is the mountain Hemaküţa.²⁹⁷ The Himavat is to its south.

294-295. On the eastern side of Meru there are two mountains, namely the Jathara and the Devakūta which run north to south and stretch up to the Nila (Tien Shan) and Nișhadha mountains (Vāyu 35.8). Jathara is identified with Kuruk-Tagh and Devakūta with Altin Tagh-Nan Shan Tsing-Ling of Sinkiang and Northern China. The Geography of the Puränas, pp. 99-100.

296. Nișhadha: Shp. places it to the south of the Meru, along with the Himavat and Hemakůta. It represents Hindukush Kunlun chain. 

297. Hemakűta; a sacred hill situated to the north of Mänasarovara It represents Ladakh-Kailash-Trans-Himalayan chain. 

 5. To the west of the Meru there are two mountains: Mālyavān ²⁹⁸ and Gandhamādana.²⁹⁹ These two extend towards the north. 

298. Mályavān: This mountain bounds Ilavruta Varșha on the east.

299. Gandhamādana: It is placed to the south of Meru. 

6. All these leading mountains are frequented by the Siddhas and Chăraņas. The inter-space between two mountains is nine thousand yojanas in each case. 

7-10. This sub-continent south of the Himavat is known as Bhärata. Hemakūta is beyond that. The sub-continent within it is Kimpurușha. Nișhadha is beyond Hemakūta. Its sub-continent is called Harivarsha. Beyond Harivarșha and Meru is the splendid Ilāvruta. Beyond Ilāvruta is Nila and the sub-continent Ramyaka. Beyond Ramyaka is Shveta and the sub-continent known as Hiraņmaya. The mountain beyond Hiranmaya is known as Shrungi and sub-continent beyond it is Kuru. The two Varșhas one in the south and one in the north (i.e., Himavarsha and Ramyaka) are stationed like an areh. 

11. The other four are horizontal in shape. Ilāvruta is in the middle; to the west and east of the Meru there are two subcontinents and they are smaller (than the four mentioned before). 

12. The area above Nișhadha is known as the northern Vedyardha (half of the whole Dvipa which is conceived as a sacrificial altar). Thus, there are three Varșhas in the southern half and three Varșhas in the northern half. 

13. Ilāvruta with the Meru in the middle is in the midst of the two halves. 

14-15 The great mountain Mālyavān extends towards the north. Its width above is two thousand yojanas. Its length is stated to be thirtyfour thousand yojanas. The mountain Gandhamādana is to the west of it. 

16-17. Its length and width is similar to that of Mālyavān. These six Varșha mountains of good ridges extend to the east and are bounded on both sides by the Eastern and Western seas. 

18. Himavat is full of snow. The Hemakūta contains gold. The Nișhadha is also golden resembling the morning sun. 

19. The golden Meru which extends upwards has four colours. Its girth is symmetrical and cylindrical. It rises high. 

20. The mountain Nila is full of Lapis Lazuli stones. The Shveta is white in colour and full of gold. The three-peaked mountain Shrungi has the colour of the feathers of the peacock and contains gold. 

21-25a. Thus, the mountains have been succinctly recounted. Again, listen to the description of the leading hills or peaks. 

Mandara and Devakūta are the mountains in the eastern quarter. Kailasa and golden Gandhamådana extend fiom the east towards south and end within the ocean. The excellent mountains Nisadha and Päriyātra are stationed in the west, like those in the east. Triśhrunga and Järudhi are the excellent mountains in the north. They are embedded within the ocean, and they also extend towards the East. Learned men call these mountains “Maryādāparvatas" (mountains of the boundary). 

25b-27. O excellent brahmins there are foot ranges to the lofty golden mountain Meru, extending to the four quarters. Supported by these, the earth consisting of the seven Dvipas, does not move. Their length is mentioned to be ten thousand yojanas. In the east it is Mandara; in the south it is Gandhamādana, in the west it is Vipula and in the north it is Supārshva. 

28-34. Four lofty trees grow on these as though they are the flagstaffs of the Dvipas. The great tree on the peak of the mountain Mandara is the Kadamba, the king of flagstaffs. It has long hanging branches. It acts as a chaityapädapa (holy big tree in a sacred temple). 

On the peak of the mountain in south (i.e., Gandhamadana) there is a Jambũ tree (Rose Apple) with holy fruits and flowers hanging in garlands. The Jambũ tree is known in all the worlds as the flagstaff in the southern region. 

On the peak of the lofty mountain Vipula, in the west, a great Aśhvattha tree (holy fig tree) grows like a great Chaityapadapa (a sacred tree in a holy temple). On the peak of the mountain Supārshva in the north grows the big Nyagrodha (Indian fig tree), with a huge trunk extending to many yojanas in circumference. 

I shall now mention the four sporting grounds of Devas on the leading mountains. They are devoid of human beings and have trees and plants that bloom in all the seasons. 

35-57. There are groves in the four directions. Understand them by their names. The forest grove in the east is Chaitraratha; in the south it is Gandhamädana; it is Vaibhrāja in the west; in the north it is the garden of Savitri (sun). 

(The holy shrine) in the east is Mitreśhvara. Thereafter (i.e., in the south) it is Șhașhtheśhvara. In the west it is Varyeśhvara and in the north it is Amrakeśhvara. 

Similarly, O leading sages, there are four great lakes also. 

38-40. The sages sport about there on the mountains and in the gardens. 

The lake in the east is Arunoda;³⁰⁰ that in the south is Mänasa; in the west Sitoda and in the north Mahābhadra.

300. Arunoda. It lies to the east of Meru.  

In the south there is the holy centre of Shäkha, in the west it is of Vishakha; in the north of Naigameya and in the east of Kumára. I shall mention briefly the leading peaks beginning from the eastern lake Arunoda only by their names. It is not possible to describe them in detail.

41-45a. These are the great mountains, viz: - Shitānta, Kuranda, Kurara, Vikara, Maņiśhaila, Vrukșhavān, Mahānila, Ruchaka, Savindu, Dardura, Venumăn, Samegha, Nișhadha and Devaparvata. These and other mountains are the abodes of Siddhas in the east of Mandara. There are divine shrines of Rudra, Vișhnu and Nārāyaṇa on all these hills, their caves and forests. 

45b-49. I shall now mention the great hills to the south of the lake Manasa in brief. Saila, Višhiras, Sikhara, Ekaśhrunga, Mahāshūla, Gajaśhaila, Pishacaka, Panchaśhaila, Kailäsa, and Himavat. These are all lofty excellent hills frequented by Devas. On all these different mountains and forests divine shrines of Rudra have been installed by Devas. The mountains in the southern direction are thus mentioned to you. I shall now tell you about the hills in the west. 

50-52. To the west of the lake Sitoda there stand Surapa, Mahābala, Kumuda, Madhumān, Añjana, Mukuta. Krișhņa, Pāņdura, Sahasrashikhara, the leading hills Pārijāta and Shrišhrunga. These are the promin       ent excellent mountains frequented by Devas in the western quarter and they contain shrines of Rudra. 

53. The extremely powerful mountains to the north of the lake Mahābhadra are being stated now succinctly. 

54-56. They are: - Shankhakűța, Mahāśhaila, Vrushabha, Hamsaparvata, Näga, Kapila, Indrashaila, Sänuman, Nila, Kantakaśhrunga, Shataśhrunga, Pushpakošha, Prashaila, Virajas, Varāhaparyata, Mayūra and Jārudhi,³⁰¹ All these are stationed in the north. 

301. Järudhi: This range is identified with the the Kirghiz-Zailai Al-Tau, Ketmen chain. GP. p. 82.

57. There are thousands of divine palaces of the trident bearing lord on those divine hills. 

58. In the interstices of these leading hills there are many internal water reservoirs, lakes and parks. 

59. Thanks to the favour of Parameșhthin, Devas, sages, Siddhas purified by their devotional thoughts of Śhiva reside here along with their families in their respective abodes. 

60-69. The different deities reside in the various forests as follows: 

The residence of Lakșhmi is in the Bilva grove; Kashyapa and others stay in the Kakubha grove; the residence of Indra, Upendra and of the snake gods is in the Tālavana (forest of palm trees); the residence of Kardama and his tribe is in the Udumbara grove; the residence of the Vidyadharas and Siddhas is in the holy and splendid mango-grove; the abode of the Nägas and Siddhas is in the forest of Nimba (Margosa), that of the sun and Rudra is in the Kimśhuka; the preceptor of Devas is stationed in the holy forest of Bijapūra; the abode of the noble lords beginning with Vișhnu is in the forest of lilies; the serpents stay on the Nyagrodha within the clusters of Sthalapadma (land lotuses). It is here that Shesha the lord of the nether worlds stays. He alone is the god of Death unto all. The ploughshare-armed lord is only a form of Vișhņu himself, the preceptor of the universe; he is the leaning couch of Vișhņu; he is the bangle of the lord (Shiva). Dånavas including their preceptor Shukra stay in the forest of jack trees. The serpents are stationed in the Vishakhaka forest along with the Kinnaras, there are innumerable trees of all kinds in this beautiful forest. Nandiśhvara is also stationed there and is being eulogised by the leading Gaņas. Goddess Sarasvati stays in the middle of the region full of Santānaka (wish-yielding) trees. 

 Thus are the residents of these forests recounted in brief. It is not possible to describe them in detail.