53 - Geography of the World 

Suta said: 

1. There are seven important mountains in each of the seven Dvipas beginning with Plaksha. They extend straight in all directions and form the boundaries of the great continents. 

2-4. I shall mention the seven great mountains in the Plakshadvīpa. The first mountain is Gomedaka; the second is Chandra; the third is Närada; the fourth is Dundubhi; the fifth is Somaka; the sixth Sūmanas, the same is called Vaibhava; the seventh is Vaibhrāja. These are the seven important mountains in thc Plaksha Dvipa. 

5-9. There are only seven important mountains in the Sálmalidvipa. I shall mention them in order. They are Kumuda, Uttama, Balāhaka Drona, Kanka, Mahisha and Kakudman. 

In the Kushadvipa there are seven sub-continents and seven Kulaparvatas. I shall mention them by name, in brief. The first mountain is Vidruma, the second is Hemaparvata the third is Dyutimān, the fourth is Puspita, the fifth is Kusheshaya, the sixth Harigiri, the seventh is the glorious mountain Mandara. It is the abode of the great lord. 'The word Manda denotes the waters. Since the mountain holds the waters, it is called Mandara. 

10. The bull-emblemed lord of the universe Shiva, the deity without impurities, stays there in person in an excellent golden palace accompanied by Uma and Nandin. 

11-13a Formerly the lord was propitiated in the great holy centre, Avimukta, by the mountain Mandara. He then obtained a great boon. Mahadeva was requested by him for his stay there along with Umi. The lord left Avimukta and stayed on the Mandara along with his Gaņas, Nandin and Umā. Therefore, he does not leave this mountain. 

13b.16. The Kula Parvatas in the Krauncha Dvipa are seven. They are Kraunca, Vamanaka, Andhakāraka Divāvrut, Vivinda, Pundarika. and Dundubhisvana. These seven mountains in the Krauncha Dvipa are full of gems. 

17-19a. There are seven mountains in the Shäkadvipa. They are Udaya, Raivata, Shyāmaka Rājata, Ambikeya, Ramya containing all medicinal herbs and Kesarī. It is from this Kesari that wind is generated. 

19b-24. In the Puşhkara Dvipa there is only one glorious mountain named Mahāśhaila. It has wonderful peaks full of jewels. The rocky ridges are lofty. In the eastern half of the Dvipa it rises very high with ridges of variegated colours. Above the ground level it is fifty thousand yojanas high. The great mountain goes deep below the ground level thirty-four thousand yojanas. This mountain stretches over half of the Dvipa with the Mānasa range to the north of it. Situated near the seashore it appears like the newly rising moon. 

Above the ground level it rises fifty thousand yojanas high. Its total width and girth is also that much. The same is called Mānasa in the western portion of the Dvipa. The same mountain of great ridges appears split into two due to its position. 

25-26. There are two meritorious and splendid Janapadas on either side of the Mānasa mountain and shining like silver. The sub-continent Mahāvīta323 is on the exterior of the Mänasa. The Janapada in the interior is called Dhātakikhanda.324 

323-324. Mahävita and Dhătakikhanda. These are the two provinces of Puşhkara-dvipa (identified with Japan, Manchuria and SE Siberia). The mountain Manasa runs in a circle like a full moon and divides the two provinces. The exterior province is Mahãvita and the interior is Dhátaki. 

27-28. The Puşhkara Dvipa is surrounded by the ocean of sweet water. All round this ocean extends to as much area as the Pushkara Dvīpa. In girth and extent, it is equal to Pushkara. 

In the same manner all the seven Dvipas are surrounded by oceans severally and there are seven oceans in all. 

29. The seventh ocean is beyond all Dvipas. Thus, the comparative sizes of dvipas and oceans are stated. 

30. The great ocean of sweet waters is stationed enveloping the Puşhkara. 

31. Beyond that is the situation of the world. The earth is golden and twice in extent. The entire thing is comparable to a single rock. 

32. beyond it is the globular mountain of delimitation. It is partially dim and partially bright. It is called Lokāloka. 

33. O brahmins, this earth abides, as long as this visible cum-invisible mountain exists. Its height is stated to be ten thousand yojanas. 

34. The extent of the great mountain Lokáloka is also that much. The rays of the sun pass over its inner and nether half. 

35. In its other half there is perpetual darkness. Hence it is called Lokāloka. Thus, the world Bhūr is explained succinctly. 

36-39. The Bhuvarloka is upto the sun. O excellent sages, the Svarloka is upto Dhruva (pole star). There are seven wheels of the wind,325 viz., Avaha, Pravaha, Anuvaha, Samvaha, Vivaha, Paravaha and Parivaha, O brahmins, these are the seven wheels of the wind. 

325. All the Puräņas mention seven divisions of the strato-sphere. 

O brahmins, the clouds, sun, moon, stars, planets, seven sages (Great Bear) are one above the other. The distance from the surface of the earth up to pole star is fifteen hundred thousand yojanas. 

40-43. The solar sphere is one hundred thousand yojanas above the surface of the earth. Above it the chariot of the sun is sixteen thousand yojanas. The Meru is eighty-four thousand yojanas above the surface of the earth. The Maharloka extends to a crore of yojanas above Dhruva. O brahmins, the Janaloka extends to two crores of yojanas beyond Maharloka. Tapoloka extends to four crores of yojanas beyond Janaloka. Beyond that the Brahmaloka extends to six crores of yojanas. O brahmins, the holy worlds in this Cosmic Egg are thus seven. 

44. Beneath the seven nether worlds are the crores of hells. They are twentyeight in number beginning with Ghora and ending with Māyā. 

45-46a. The sinnets are cooked in them in accordance with their past activities. They say that in each of them there are five hells beginning with Raurava and ending with Avichi. 

46b-47. The Cosmic Egg has been mentioned by me at the outset. So also the sheaths of the Cosmic Egg. Incidentally the creation of Brahmä too was mentioned in great detail. It should be known that there are thousands and crores of Eggs like these. 

48-52. Since Pradhana is present everywhere within each of these Cosmic Eggs there are fourteen worlds in all sides as well as above and below. O leading brahmins, the cause of their creation is lord Shiva himself. The eight-bodied Shiva is present in all the Eggs, in the exterior of the Eggs, in the coverings of the Eggs, in the extremities of the darkness and beyond darkness. Wonderful it is, every thing in the universe is the body of the unembodied great Atman, of Mahesha, of the intelligent Mahädeva. 

The mistress of the eight-bodied Shiva is the divine Prakruti. Mahat etc. are his progeny; all the Pashus (Individual Souls) who identify themselves with their bodies are His servants.326 

53. The lord Shiva is infinite. He is devoid of beginning and end. He is the Puruşha. He is identical with the seven principles327 beginning from Pradhāna. His body is Pradhana itself, having sixteen limbs.328 (i.e., the organs of knowledge, organs of action, elements and inind). He himself is Maheśhvara and Aşhtatanu (eight-bodied). 

326-328. The aşhtamurti (eight-formed, p. 166) Shiva is the house holder whose mistress is Prakruti, whose subjects are intellect, ego and live subtle elements. His eight-formed body has sixteen parts, viz., five gross elements, five organs of action, five organs of knowledge and the mind. 

51. It is due to the power of His command that the earth is held steady. So also the mountains, clouds, oceans, luminaries, Devas beginning with Indra, those who go about in the aerial chariots as well as the mobile and inmobile beings. 

55. Devas including Indra saw the lord devoid of specific characteristics in the guise of a Yakşha.329 On seeing him they wondered "What is this?" They went to the Yakşha. Unable to come to any conclusion, fine and others exrted themselves but became weak and inefficient. 

329. Yakşha--Shiva in the form of Yakşha—a semidivine being, cf. Brahma Gitā cited in ST.

56. O brahmins, in front of that Yaksha the Fire-God could not burn even a blade of grass; the Wind-God could not shake a blade of grass; all the leading immortal beings failed to excrcise their respective powers over him. 

57. At that time, the enemy of Vrutra (i.e., Indra), the lord of Devas, the cause of all prosperity, approached him along with the leading Devas. He said to the Yakşha, the lord of Devas, with great curiosity in his mind, "Who are you, Sir?" 

38. At that time the Yaksha vanished. Then the splendid, faced daughter of Himavat, Umā, shining gloriously with many auspicious ornaments appeared in front of him. 

59. Indra and others asked that unborn daughter of Himavat, Uinā, the intensely bright one; - "O Goddess, O excessively refulgent, what is this? O Umā, who was this shining one in the body of Yakşha?” 

60. On hearing it, Umā said: "the Yakṣha is invisible." Devas including Indra bowed down to that deity having the gait of a lion, and to Umā unborn and of red, white and black rolour. 

61. On being honoured by all the leading immortal beings, the deity, the cause of the activity of Devas and Asuras, said: -- Formerly I was Prakruti subservient to the behests of the Puruşha the Yaksha. 

12. Hence, O brahmins, the entire Egg originated from the unborn at his behest and from the Egg originated Brahma. The entire world originated from him along with the luminaries. Tlus the universe is identical with the Unborn (aja).