Reading section 11

Thus, O twice-born one, the first portion of the Purāna, has been related to you, hearing which one may be freed from sins. The man, who hears this, obtains the fruit of bathing in the Pushkara lake[232] for twelve years in the month of Kartik. O Muni, the celestials confer upon him, who hears this Purāna, the dignity of a divine sage, of a patriarch, or of a spirit of a heaven.

THE END OF PART I.

PART II.

SECTION I.

Maitreya said:—"O venerable Sir, O preceptor, you have fully described unto me all that I asked you regarding the creation of the universe. But there is a portion of this subject, O foremost of ascetics, which I desire to hear again. Pryavrata and Uttanapada were the two sons of Swayambhuva Manu and you related to me the story of Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada. But, O twice-born one, you did not mention the progeny of Pryavrata and I wish to hear from you an account of his family". Parāçara said:—Prayvrata married Kanya,[233] the daughter of Kardama, and had by her two daughters named Samrat and Kukshi and ten sons, wise, valiant, humble, obedient to their father; named Agnidhra, Agnivāhu, Vapushmat, Dyutimat, Medha, Bhabya, Savalā, Putra. And the tenth of them was Jyotishman; and the significance of this name was made good by him. All the sons of Pryavrata were celebrated for strength and prowess. Of these three, Medha, Agnivāhu and Putra, were given up to religious devotion. And those high-souled ones remembering the actions of their pristine births, did not wish for kingdom. And they diligently and in due time practised the rites of austerities, wholly disinterested and expecting no reward. O Maitreya, O foremost of Munis, Pryavrata conferred the seven islands upon his seven illustrious sons. The father conferred upon Agnidhra the sovereignty of Jamvudwipa; to Medhathiti he gave Plakshadwipa: he made Vapushmat the sovereign over the Dwipa of Salmali: and appointed Jyotishmat, king of Kusadwipa: he made Dutimat the king of Kraunchdwipa, Bhabya the king of Sakadwipa and Savala the sovereign of the Dwipa of Pushkara.

O foremost of Munis, Agnidhra, the king of Jamvudwipa had nine sons, all equal to the patriarchs in prowess.—Nābhi, Kimpurasha, Harwarsha, Ilāvrita, Ramya, Hiranvat, Kuru, Bhadraswa and Ketumala, who was a prince ever devoted to the practice of piety.

Hear next, O Brahman, from me how he divided Jamvudwipa amongst his sons. He conferred on Nabhi the country called Hima, south of Himavān or snowy mountains. And he gave to Kimpurusha the country of Himakuta and to Harivarsha the country of Nishada. And he bestowed upon Ilāvrita the country in the centre of which mount Meru is situated. And he conferred upon Kamya the countries lying between it and the Nila mountain. He gave to Hiravat the country lying to the north of it. He gave to Kuru the country bounded by Sringavar. He gave to Bhadraswa the countries situate on the east of Meru and he gave to Ketumala Gandhamadana which was situate on the west of it. Thus that lord of men, conferred the various portions of his kingdom, upon his sons. And having installed his sons as kings of diverse regions that lord of earth retired to the holy place of pilgrimage Salagrama and engaged in penance, O Maitreya.

O great Muni, the eight countries, Kintpurusha and others are places of perfect enjoyment and spontaneous happiness. In those countries there is no viccissitude of circumstances, no fear of decrepitude or death, no distinction of virtue and vice, better or worse. Nor in these eight countries are to be seen the effects wrought by the cycle of ages.

The high-souled Nabhi, who had obtained the country of Nimahwa as his kingdom, had by his queen Meru, the highly effulgent son Rishabha; and who had again a hundred sons, the eldest of whom was Bharata. Having ruled over the kingdom piously and performed many sacrifices the illustrious Rishabha installed his eldest son Bharata as the lord of the earth and went to the hermitage of Pulastya, being bent upon practising religious penance according to the prescribed rites of an anchoret. He practised religious austerities duly until he was so reduced as to be but a collection of skin and fibres. Thereupon putting a pebble in his mouth he went naked to the great road. And from then the country was handed over to Bharata by his father on retiring to woods and it was called Bhārata.

Bharata had a highly pious son named Sumati. Having ruled the kingdom for some time, the king Bharata, who was fond of sacrifices, conferred it upon his son and invested him with all royal splendours. O Muni, having engaged in austere practices, he renounced his life at the holy place of Salagrama. He was again born in a distinguished family of ascetics, which I shall describe to you later on.

From the illustrious Sumati was born Indradyumna: his son was Pratihara, who had an illustrious son named Pratihartta; his son was Bhava who begot Udgitha, who begot Prastara, whose son was Prithu. Prithu's son was Nakta, whose son was Gaya, whose son was Nara, whose son was Virat. Virat's son was the brave Dhimat who begot Maharta, whose son was Manasyu, whose son was Twashtri, whose son was Viraja, whose son was Raja, whose son was Satyjit, who had a hundred sons, of whom Viswagyotish was the eldest. Under the rule of these princes Bharatvarsha was divided into nine parts and their progeny successively ruled the country for seventy-one cycles.

O Muni, this was the progeny of Swayambhava Manu, by whom the earth was peopled, who was the lord of the first Manwantara in the Kalpa of Varaha.

SECTION II.

Maitreya said:—"O Brāhmana, you have related to me the progeny of Swayartbhuva. I wish to hear from you an account of the earth. It behoveth thee, O Muni to relate to how many oceans there are, how many islands, how many kingdoms, how many mountains, forests, rivers, cities of the gods's; its size, its contents, its nature and its form". Parāçara said:—Do thou hear from me, O Maitreya, a brief account: I cannot give you a detailed account even in a century.

O twice-born one, the earth consists of seven islands namely Jambu, Plaksha, Sālmali, Kusa, Krauncha, Saku and Puskara: and they are severally girt by seven great seas: the sea of salt water (Lavana), of sugar-cane juice (Ikshu), of wine (Sura) of clarified butter (Sarpi), of curds (Dadhi), of milk (Dugdha) and of fresh water (Jala).

Jambudwipa is situated in the centre of all these and in the centre of that island is situate the golden mount Meru, which is eighty-four thousand yojanas in height and sixteen thousand deep into the earth. The diameter, at its top, is thirty-two thousand yojanas and at the base sixteen thousand. And this mountain is like the seed-cup of the lotus of the earth.

On the south Sumeru are the mountains Himavat, Hemakuta and Nishadha and on its north are the boundary mountains Neela, Sweta and Sringhee. The two mountain ranges situate in the centre are a hundred thousand yojanas in extent. And others are ten thousand yojanas lesser in extent. They are two thousand yojanas in height and breadth.

O twice-born one, the first country on the south of Sumeru is Bhārata, then Kimpurusha and then Harivarsha. North of Meru is Ramyaka, next to that is Hiranmaya and beyond the latter is Uttarakuru following the same direction as Bhirata. And each of these Varshas, O foremost of the twice-born ones, is extended over a nine thousand yojanas. Ilābrita is also of the same size and the golden mount Meru is situate in the centre, and the country extends nine thousand yojanas in each direction from the four sides of the mountain. For fortifying the mount Meru four mountains were created as buttresses, each ten thousand yojanas in elevation. The one situate on the east is called Mandara, the one on the south is called Gandhamādana, that on the west is called Vipula and that on the south Suparswa. And on each of these stands severally a Kadamba tree, a Jāmbu tree, a Pipal and a Vata. And all these trees were eleven thousand yojanas in height, standing as if like the banners of the mountains. O great Muni, because a Jāmbu-tree stands on that mountain that insular continent is called Jāmbu-dwipa. And that tree produces Jāmbu-fruits like so many huge elephants. And those huge fruits are crushed into pieces as soon as they fall on the mountain. And out of the juice of those fruits has come out the river Jāmbu. And the inhabitants, who drink the water of that river, do not experience perspiration, bad smell and are not subject to infirmities of age and organic decay. The soil, on the banks of that river, receiving the juice of these fruits and dried up by pleasant breeze, is turned into gold called Jāmbunada out of which the ornament of the Siddhas are made. Vadraswa is situate on the east of Meru and Ketumdlā on the west. And in the middle of these two Varshas, O foremost of Munis, is situate Ilābrita, oh the east is the Chaitrarath forest on the south Gandhamādana, on the west Baibhraju and on the north the forest called Nandana. On the four sides of Meru there are four tanks the water of which is partaken of by the celestials namely Atunoda, Mahabhadra, Sitoda and Manasa. There are some mountain ranges like the filaments from the root of a lotus on the coast of Meru—namely Sitānta Mukunda, Kurāri, Mālayavān and Vaikanta.

And on the south Trikuta, Sisirā, Patanga, Ruchaka and Nishadha, on the west Sikhivasasi Vaidurya, Kapila, Gandhamidana and Jārudho, and on the north Sankhakuta, Rishabha, Nāga, Hansa and Kālanjara. These and others extend from the heart of the Meru.

On the top of mount Meru, O Maitreya, there is a vast city, named after Brahmā, extending for fourteen thousand yojanas, and celebrated in the region of the celestials. And around it in the various quarters and intermediate quarters are situate the magnificent cities of Indra and other deities presiding over various quarters. Originating from the foot of Vishnu, and watering the region of the moon, the Ganges falls from the heaven into the city of Brahmā. Falling there she has divided herself into four branches namely Sitā, Alakakandā, Chakshu and Vadrā. Taking her course towards the east and going from one mountain to another, in the welkin Sitā, watering Vadrawshwa has fallen into the ocean. The Alakakandā flows southwards to the country of Bhārata and dividing herself into seven branches on the way, falls into the ocean, O great Muni. And Chakshu crossing over all the western mountains and passing through the country of Ketumāla falls into the ocean. And Vadrā, traversing the northern mountains and passing through the country of Uttarakuru, falls into the northern ocean, O great Muni.

Meru is thus situated between the mountains Nila and Nishada (on the north and south) and between Mālyavān and Gandhamādana (on the west and east) and it lies there like the peri-carp of a lotus. And the countries of Bhārata, Ketumāla, Vadrāshwa and Kuru, lying outside the mountains, are like petals of the lotus of the world. Jathara and Devakuta are two mountainous ranges extending northward and southward and connecting the mountain Nila and Nishada. The two mountains Gandhamādana and Kailāsha extend towards the east and west for eighty yojanas from sea to sea. Like the two mountains on the east the two ranges Nishahad and Paripātra are situated on the western side of Meru. The two mountains Trisringa and Jārudhi are situated on the north of Meru and they extend east and west from one sea to another. Thus I have described to you the eight mountains, mentioned by the ascetics as bounding the mount Meru, and situate in pairs on four sides. Sitānta and others which have been described to you as filament mountains are extremely charming. The vallies situate in the bosom of those mountains are frequented by Siddhas and Charanas and there are many picturesque cities and forests, containing the palaces of Vishnu, Lakshmi, Agni, Surya and other deities and inhabited by the celestials. And in those pleasant vales Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rākshasas, Daityas and Dānavas sport day and night. These are the abodes of the pious, O Muni and are called the regions of paradise on earth where the vicious, even after a hundred births, do not arrive.

In the country of Vadraswa, O twice-born one, Vishnu resides in his horse-headed form, in Ketumala as the boar and in Bhārata as the tortoise. And in Kuru Janārddana resides as the fish and Hari, the lord of all and everything, resides everywhere in his universal form. And, O Maitreya, he, the soul of the world, is the supporter of all things.

O great Muni, in the eight countries of Kimpurusha and others there is neither grief, exhaustion, anxiety nor hunger. All the subjects are healthy devoid of any fear, freed from all afflictions and live for ten or twelve thousand years. Indra does not send rain there and people live upon the water of the earth and there is no distinction of Satya, Treta and other successive cycles. In each of these countries there are seven principal mountainous ranges from which hundreds of river take their rise, O foremost of twice-born ones.

SECTION III.

Parāçara said:—The country that is situate on the ocean and south of the Himālya is called Bhārata where reside the descendants of Bharata. The extent of this land is nine thousand yojanas, and is the field of action, on account of which men go to heaven or obtain final emancipation. The seven principal mountain ranges in Bhārata are Māhendra, Malaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pāripātra. From this land people attain to heaven or final emancipation or some hence, O Muni, fall into hell or pass into the condition of brutes. From here people obtain heaven, liberation, or the state in mid-air, or the state in the regions under the earth for no other portion of world is the arena of actions.

Do thou again hear of the nine divisions of the country of Bhārata. They are Indra-dwipa, Kasermut, Tāmravarna, Galehastimat, Nāgadwipa, Saumya, Gandharva and Varuna. The last is encircled by the sea and is a thousand yojanas in extent from north to south.

On the east of Bhārata live the Kiratas, and on the west Yavanas in the centre live Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaidyas, and Sudras engaged severally in sacrifice, arms, trade and service.

The rivers Satadru, Chandrabhāga and others have taken their rise from the Himālaya. Vedasmriti and others have taken their rise from the Vindya range. Tapi, Poyoshni, Nirbindhā and others have taken their rise from Riksha; Godaveri, Bhimarathi, Krishnaveni and others have taken their rise from Sahya mountain. And all these remove the dread of sin. Kritamala, Tamraparni and others flow from the Malaya hills; Trisama, Rishikulya and others from the Mahendra; and the Rishikulya, Kumari and others from the Suktimat mountains. There are thousands of rivers like these and the tributaries thereof. The Kurus and Panchalas in the middle districts, the inhabitants of Kāmrupa in the east, the Pundras, Kalingas, Magadhas, and other southern nations, the Saurāsthras, Suras, Bhiras, Arbudas in the west, the Karushas and Mālavas dwelling along the Pāripātra mountains, the Sauviras, the Saindhavas, the Hānas, the Sālwas the inhabitants of Sakala, the Madras, the Rāmas, the Ambasthas and the Parishakas and others drink the waters of these rivers and live on their banks happy and prosperous.

There are four Yugas or ages in the Bhārata-Varsha, O Great Muni, namely the Krita, the Tretā, the Dwāpara, and Kali—there is no such cycle of ages in any other land. Here the ascetics are engaged in penances, the devout offer sacrifices, and the people distribute gifts for the sake of another world. In Jāmbu-Dwipa, Vishnu, all sacrifice, in the shape of sacrificial male, is worshipped by people with sacrifices—there is altogether a different practice in other lands. O Great Muni, Bhārata therefore is the best of all the divisions of Jāmbu-dwipa, for it is the land of actions and all other divisions are places of enjoyment. O sage, it is after many thousand births, and by the accumulation of piety, that living beings are sometimes born in Bhāratavarsa as men. The celestials themselves have chanted "Blessed are those who are born in Bhāratavarsa as men even from the condition of the celestials for this is a land which leads to Paradise and final liberation. And all actions, that are performed by men born in this land and freed from sins, careless of the merited rewards, are consigned by them to the eternal Vishnu, the Great soul and then they emerge in him. We do not know when the actions, that have secured for us heaven, shall bear fruits and when we shall be born again. But Blessed are those who are born in Bhāratvarsha with perfect faculties". O Maitreya, I have, thus in short, described to you the nine divisions of Jambu-dwipa which extend over a hundred thousand yojanas and which is girt, as if by a bracelet, by the ocean of salt water which is similar in dimensions.

SECTION IV.

Parāçara said:—As Jambu-dwipa is encircled all around by the ocean of salt water like a bracelet, so that ocean is also girt by the insular continent Plaksha. The extent of Jambu-dwipa is a hundred thousand yojanas and it is said, O Brahman, that the extent of Plaksha-dwipa is twice as much.

Medhatiti, the king of Plaksha-dwipa, had seven sons, Santabhaya, Sisira, Sukhodhaya, Ananda, Siva, Kshemaka and Dhruva. And all these seven became kings of Plaksha-dwipa. The seven divisions were named after them—Santābhaya-varsa, Sisira-varsa, Sukhada-varsa, Ananda-varsa, Siva-varsa, Kshemaka-varsa, and Dhruva-varsa. These seven varsas had seven mountain-ranges as their boundaries. Do thou hear, from me, the names of these mountains, O foremost of Munis,—Gomeda, Chandra, Nārada, Dundhubi, Somaka, Sumanas, and Vaibhraja. In all these picturesque mountains the sinless inhabitants dwell perpetually along with the celestials and Gandharvas. There are holy villages where people live for a long time, freed from care and pain and enjoying uninterrupted happiness. And in those divisions there are seven rivers all flowing into the ocean—I shall relate their names, bearing which all sins shall be removed. They are the Anutapā, Sikhi, Vipasā, Tridivā, Kramu, Amritā and Sukritā. These are the principal rivers and mountains of Plakshsa-dwipa, which I have described to you; but there are thousands of others of inferior size. Those who partake of the waters of these rivers, always live happy and contented; there is neither the increase nor decrease of the population; the revolution of the four ages is not known there; O thou of great mind, the time there is uniformly of the character of Treta Yuga. In all these Dwipas, O Brahman, people live peacefully for five thousand years, and religious rites are severally performed by diverse castes and divisions of the people. There are four castes which I shall relate to you. They are Aryaka, Kuru, Vivasa and Bhavi corresponding respectively with Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras, O foremost of Munis. As there is a huge Jambu-tree in the Jambu-dwipa so there is a large fig-tree in this insular continent and this Dwipa is called Plaksha after the name of that tree, O foremost of twice-born ones. Hari, the all, the lord of all, the creator of the universe, is worshipped in the form of the moon by the Aryakas and other caste people. Plaksha-dwipa is girt, as if by a disc, by the sea of molasses which is equal to the island in extent. I have thus given to you, O Maitreya, in a brief compass, a description of the island called Plaksha; I shall now describe the island Salmala; do thou hear it.

The heroic Vapusmat is the sovereign of the Salmala-dwipa; do thou hear the names of his seven sons who gave names to the seven divisions of this insular continent. They were Sweta, Harita, Jimuta, Rohita, Vaidyuta, Manasa, and Suprabha. The sea of molasses is girt by this insular continent on all sides, which is twice in extent. There are seven mountain ranges containing precious jems and dividing the Dwipa and there are seven rivers. They are Kumuda, Unnata, Valahaka, Drona, abounding in medicinal herbs, Kanka, Mahisha and Kakkudwat. The principal rivers are Yauni, Toya, Vitrishna, Chandra, Sukla, Vimochani and Nivritti; the waters of all these remove sins. All the varsas namely Sweta, Harita, Vaidyuta, Manasa, Jimuta and Suprava are very charming. All these varsas are peopled by men of four castes. The four castes, O great Muni, who reside in Salmala-dwipa, are severally known as Kapilas, Arunas, Pitas and Rohitas (or tawny, purple, yellow and red) corresponding to Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras, who all perform sacrifices and worship the Great undecaying Vishnu, the soul of all things, in the form of Vayu (wind) with pious rites. The people there enjoy frequent association with the celestials. There is a huge Salmali (silk-cotton) tree in this insular continent, which gives its name and affords delight to gods.

This Dwipa is encircled on all sides by the Ocean named Suroda, which is equal to the island in extent. This ocean Suroda is again girt on all sides by the Kusa-dwipa which is twice the Salmali island in extent. The king Jyotishmat in Kusa-dwipa had seven sons; do thou hear their names. They are Udvida, Venuman, Swairatha, Lavana, Dhriti, Prabhakara and Kapita after whom the seven varshas were severally named. There live men along with the Daityas, Dānavas, gods, Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Kimparushas. The four castes devoted to the performance of their respective duties are called Damis, Sushinis, Snehas, and Mandehas corresponding, in order to Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras. They worship Janārddana in the form of Brahmā, in the Kusa-dwipa according to the rites laid down in the Sastras for the protection of their kingdom and setting aside actions which lead to temporal rewards. There are seven mountain ranges (in this island) namely: Bidruma, Hemasaila, Dyutimat, Pushpavan, Kusheshaya, Havi Mandarachala, O great Muni. There are seven rivers—the names of which I shall relate in order, do thou hear them. They are Dhutapapa, Siva, Pavitra, Sanmati, Bidyudambha and Mahi. They all remove sins. Besides there are thousands of small rivers and mountains. There is a huge clump of Kusa-grass and the island is named after that. It is girt by the Ghrita sea (the ocean of butter) of the same dimension as this insular continent.

The sea of Ghrita is encircled by Krauncha-dwipa which is twice as large as Kusa-dwipa. Dyutiman was the sovereign of this island. The high-souled king named the seven varshas after his seven sons. They were Kusala, Mallaga, Ushna, Pivara, Andhakaraka, Muni and Dundhuvi, O Muni. There are seven boundary mountains highly picturesque and resorted to by the celestials and Gandharvas, O thou of great understanding; do thou hear their names from me. They are Krauncha, Vamana, Andhakaraka, Devavrita, Pundjirikavan, Dundhuvi, and Mahasaila—each of which is double the preceding one in height as each dwipa is twice as extensive as the one before it. In these charming mountains, people reside, freed from fear, along with the celestials. In this island, O great Muni, the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras are respectively called Pushkara, Pushkala, Dhanya and Tishpa. Do thou, O Maitreya, hear the names of the rivers, the waters whereof are drunk by those men. There are seven principal rivers and hundreds of small rivers. The seven principal rivers are Gauri, Kumudvati, Sandhyā, Ratri, Mānojavā, Kshānti and Pundarikā.

In this island the four caste people worship the great Janārddana in the form of Rudra with various sacrifices. Krauncha is girt by the sea of curds of a similar dimension and that again is encircled by Sāka-dwipa, which is twice as much in extent, O great Muni.

The high-souled Bhavya, the king of Sāka-dwipa had seven sons upon whom he severally conferred the seven portions. They are Jalada, Kumāra, Sukumāra, Manecchaka, Kusumoda, Mandāki and Mahādruma. The seven varsas were named in order after the seven princes. There are seven boundary mountains. Of these one situate on the east is Udayagiri and others are named Jatādhāra, Raivatak, Shyama, Astagiri, Anchikeya and Kesari. They are all charming and excellent mountains. There is a large Sāka (Teak) tree, frequented by the Siddhas and Gandharvas; and the wind produced by its fluttering leaves, spreads joy. The holy lands of this insular continent were inhabited by people of four castes. There are seven sacred rivers which remove all sins—they are Sukumari, Kamari, Nalini, Dhenuka, Ikshu, Benuka and Gavasti. Besides these seven rivers there are numerous rivulets. There are hundreds and thousands of mountains. People residing in Jalada varsa partake of the waters of these rivers. They seem to have come down from heaven to earth. In those divisions there is no decrease of virtue; there is no quarrel and there is no deviation from honesty. The four castes, Nriga, Magadha, Manasa and Mandaga correspond respectively to Brāhmmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras. They worship Vishnu, in the form of the sun, having controlled their minds with diverse pious observances. Sāka-dwipa, O Maitreya, is girt by the sea of milk on all sides, as by a bracelet, which is of the same dimension as the continent.