55 - The Geography of Jambu-dvipa.

Markandeya mentions the forests and lakes and mountains around Mer--All the heavenly beings dwell in that region where there is the most charming scenery-Bhárata alone is the land of action, which entails merit and sin. 

Markandeya spoke.

1 Hear from me of the four forests and lakes which exist on

2 Mandara and the three other mountains, † O brahman. On the east is the forest named Chaitra-ratha, on the southern mountain the forest Nandana, on the western mountain the forest Vaibhraja, and on the northern mountain the forest

† For shailashu read shaileshu.

3 Savitra. On the east is the lake Arunoda, †† and on the south Manasa, on the west of Meru is Shitoda, and Mahá-bhadra on the north.

†† Or Varunoda, see Canto lvi, verse 6

4 On the east of Mandara are the mountains Shitártta, § and Chakra-munja, and Kulira, Su-kanka-vat, and Mani-shaila,

§ Shitárttash read Shitántas? See verse 17, and Canto lvi, verse 6.

5 Vrisha-vat, Mahá-nila, Bhaváchala, Sa-bindu, Mandara, Veņu, Támasa, and Nishadha, and Deva-shaila.

6 The mountain Shikhara with its three peaks,* and Kalinga, Patangaka, Ruchaka, and the mountain Sánu-mat, and Tám-

* See Canto lvi, verse 9. Shikhara must be first mountain on the south, and tri-kúţa must be an adjective qualifying it.

7 raka, Vishakha-vat, Shvetodara, and Sa-mula, and Vasu-dhára, Ratna-vat, Eka-shringa, Mahá-shaila, Rája-shaila, Pipáthaka, and

8 Pancha-shaila, Kailasa, and Hima-vat the loftiest of mountains; these mountains are said to lie on the south side of Meru. 

9 Su-raksha, † and Shishiraksha, Vaidurya, and Kapila, †† and

† See Canto lvi, verse 14.

†† The text “Kapila” seems erroneous, as it mentions Kapila again in the next line. Another reading is Pingala.

10 Pinjara, Mahá-bhadra, Su-rana, Kapila, Madhu, Anjana, Kukkuta, Krishna, and Pandura the loftiest of mountains, and the mountain Sahasra-shikhara, Páripátra, and Shringavat;

11 these mountains are well-known as lying on the west of Meru beyond the subjacent hills § which are on the west side.

§ For viskambhát read vishkambhát; see Canto liv, verse 19.

12 Hear yet the other mountains on the north. Shankha-kuta, Vrishabha, and the mountain Hamsa-nabha, and the mountain

13 Kapilendra, Sánu-mat, and Nila, Svarna-shringin, Shata-shringin, Pushpaka, Megha-parvata, Virajáksha, Varáhádri,

14 Mayúra, and Jarudhi; these are said to be the mountains on the north of Meru, O brahman. 

The valleys among these mountains are exceedingly charming; 

15 they are decorated with forests and lakes of the clearest water. In then men are born who practise meritorious deeds,

16 O brahman. These are terrestrial Svargas, O brahman; they surpass Svarga with their excellences. In them no fresh

17 merit or sin accrues. Even the gods are said to enjoy merit in them. And on these mountains, Shítánta || and the rest, O

|| See verse 4.

18 brahman, are the great and resplendent abodes of the Vidyadharas, the Yakshas, the Kin-naras, the Nagas, and the

19 Rakshasas, and the gods, and the Gandharvas, which possess great merit and are studded with charming groves which the gods frequent. And the lakes are charming; the breeze is 

20 pleasant at every season. Nor anywhere on these mountains do men have any kind of mental agitation.

21 Thus have I told thee of that four-leaved lotus-flower which is the earth; its leaves are Bhadrashva, Bhárata and the other countries on the four sides. The country named

22 Bharata, which I have told thee of on the south, is the land “of action; nowhere else is merit and sin acquired; this must be known to be the chief country, wherein everything is

23 fixedly established. * And from it a man gains Svargå are final emancipation from existence, or the human world and hell, or yet again the brute-condition, O brahman.

* Prati-shthita.