74 - Cosmology

Varäha said:

1. The sages then asked the ancient, eternal and omnipresent Rudra, three-eyed and holder of the trident.

The sages said:

2-3. You are beyond us and the Devas. So we ask you a question. O lord of Umä, be pleased to tell us about the magnitude of the earth and the position of mountains in detail.

Rudra said:

4-5. In the Puranas this earth is considered to be the world. So I shall briefly describe this earth. Please listen.

6. The great Näräyana who pervades all over the worlds, who is atomic, unknowable, pure and whose ultimate form can be known by Supreme knowledge alone, who is indicated as broad chested, wearing yellow garment and holding the earth, and who is spoken of as beyond the three qualities Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, and as neither long nor short, neither big nor small etc., and who is of the nature of pure knowledge, created water. Having created that, the primordial man Näräyana, who pervades the entire world, and is of the nature of all gods, sacrifices and water, produced from his navel a lotus during his yogic slumber. In it arose the creator Brahmä, the great god, the repository of the Vedas. He produced the repositories of knowledge like Sanaka, Sananda, Sanätana and Sanatkumära, and then Sväyambhuva Manu and those from Marichi to Daksha. From Sväyambhuva Manu created by the lord, further creation began to proceed. He had two sons, Priyavrata and Uttänapäda.

7. Priyavrata had ten sons, Agnidhra, Agnibähu, Medhas, Medhätithi, Dhruva, Jyotishmän, Dyutimän, Havya, Vapushman and Savana. Priyavrata established seven of his sons in seven islands. Ägnidhra was made the lord of Jambüdvipa, Medhätithi the lord of Šhäkadvipa, Jyotismän the lord of Krauñcha, Dyutimän the lord of ŠhälmaIi, Havya the lord of Gomeda, Vapushman the lord of Plaksha and Savana the lord of Pushkara. Savana, the lord of Pushkara had two sons Mahäviti and Dhätaka. Their regions were known after their names. Thus Dhätaka had Dhätakikhanda and Kumuda had Kaumuda.1 Jyotismän, the lord of Shälmali2 , had three sons, Kušha, Vaidyuta and Jimütavähana. Their regions came to be known after them. Dyutimän had seven sons, Kušhala, Manugavya, Pivara, Andhra, Andhakäraka, Muni and Dundubhi and seven regions in Krauñcha came to be known after them.

1. Kumuda seems to be another name for Mahaviti.

2. This contradicts with the earlier statement that Dyutiman is the lord of Salmali.

8. Jyotishmän, the lord of Kušhadvipa,1 had seven sons, Udbhida, Venumän, Rathapala, Manas, Dhruti, Prabhäkara and Kapila and they had regions with their names. Medhätithi, the lord of Shaka, had seven sons, Näbhi, Šhäntabhaya, Šhišhiramukha, Udama, Nanda, shivakshemaka and Dhruva. They had regions with their names. Näbhi had Hemaküta, Kimpursha, Naishadha, Harivarsha, Merumadhya, Ilävruta, Nila, Ramyaka, Šhveta, Uttarakuru, Mälyavän, Bhadräšhva, Gandhamädana and Ketumäla. This is the division of the earth in Sväyambhuva Manvantara. In every aeon seven kings each thus rule the earth. This happens in every aeon.

2. The Yugas are generally given as only four, Kruta, Tretä, Dväpara and Kali.

9. I shall now narrate the creation by Näbhi. Näbhi begot in Merudevi the son named Rusabha, his son was Bharata. To Bharata his father gave the region to the South of Hemädri called the great Bhårata. Bharata’s son was Sumati. Bharata gave his kingdom to Sumati and retired to the forest. Sumati’s son was Tejas, his son Indradyumna, his son   his son Prameshthi, his son Pratiharta , his son Nikhäta, his son Unnetä, his son Abhäva, his son Udgätä, his son Prastotä, his son Vibhu, his son Pruthu, his son Ananta, his son Gaya, his son Naya, his son Viräta, his son Sudhimän.

10. Sudhimän had hundred sons and by them was the population increased. The Bharatavarsha   with its seven islands is occupied by them.

11. This earth is enjoyed by their descendants. There are seventy-one aeons like Kruta, Tretä etc.2

1. Earlier is spoken of as lord of Krauñcha.

12. Incidentally I have given an account of Sväyambhuva Manvantara. Know this well.