Chapter 31 - The Creation of Mountains and Rivers

1. Vaishampayana said:—The earth floated over that vast expanse of water like a boat. On account of the heaviness of her body she did not sink down.

2-4. The Lord then thought of making divisions of the earth. He then thought of the height of mountains, the courses of rivers and their sizes, small or less. Having divided the earth into four continents like unto four petals of a lotus and separated the oceans he created the golden mountain Meru.

5-6. Thereupon going to the eastern side he created the (Udaya) rising mountain a hundred yojanas in extent and a thousand yojanas in height. With golden summits the fruits of his own energy and effulgent like the rising sun he completed it with body and base.

7. That one, having lotus eyes, created there golden trees of huge stems covered daily with flowers and fruits.

8-15. The Great God Vishnu next created the mount Soumanaka which was a hundred yojanas in extent and two hundred in height. He collected there thousands and thousands of jems and variegated altars shining like evening clouds. He then created the mountain of a thousand summits, the abode of hundreds of jems. It was thickly covered with trees and was sixty yojanas in height. There the celestial Architect placed his most excellent seat adored of all creatures. He then created the great mountain Shaishira covered with forest. Its impassable caves were richly adorned. From it he created the celebrated river Vasudhara, originating from dews abounding in birds and adorned with banks. That river, full of sacred sacrifices, covered the entire eastern quarter with pearls and conch-shells, daily yielded ambrosial fruits and flowers, and had profuse shade. It was adorned with many trees grown on its bank.

16-17. Thereupon having created divisons of the West, the Lord created the charming mountain of half gold and half silver in the south. Holding on one side the effulgence of the sun and on the other that of the moon that best of mountains shone there greatly in beauty.

18-19. That mountain was as if simultaneously spread over with the rays of the sun and the moon. Thereupon he created in that quarter the huge mountain Bhanumanta. That mountain was covered with celestial trees conferring all wished-for fruits. Then he created the mount Kunjara of the shape of an elephant.

20-23. It had golden rooms on all sides and was many yojanas in extent. He then created the mount Rishabha of the shape of a bear. It was covered with golden sandal trees and was as if smiling with flowers. He then created the mountain chief Mahendra a hundred yojanas in height. It had golden summits and huge blossoming trees. The Lord created that huge mountain on earth, which, filled with diverse jems, was effulgent like the sun and the moon. He then created the mountain Malaya adorned with many blossoming trees.

24. He then created the mount Mainaka covered with a net of rocks. He placed that huge mountain in the southern quarter.

25-26. He then created the mount Vindhya endued with a thousand summits and covered with various trees and creepers. He then created the celebrated river Payodhara, full of milk like sweet water, whirlpools and endowed with spacious banks. That river beautified the southern quarter.

27-50. Having placed in the southern quarter that sacred river of a hundred branches and many holy pilgrimages the Lord repaired to the western quarter. There he created a huge mountain a hundred Yojanas in height. It was adorned with variegated and golden rocks, caves, Shala, Tala and other trees shining like the sun and beautiful altars made of gold. The Lord established sixty thousand mountains in the Western division. There he created a Vaidurya mountain named Baraha in imitation of his own boar form. There were golden and silvery rocks. There he also established the huge Cakravan mountain of a thousand summits resembling his own discus. He also created the silvery mountain Shanka covered with dark-blue trees resembling his conch-shell. On the summit of that mountain he placed the huge tree Parijata produced from gold and jems. The Lord Baraha created in the western division the sacred and celebrated river Ghritadhara of profuse water. Having thus created many divisions of the West he established in the north many golden and beautiful mountains. He then created the golden mountain Shoumya of the effulgence of the sun and extent of the sky. Even when divested of the sun the country was lighted up with its effulgence. As with the heat of the sun the lunar region is lighted up so as if with the effulgence of that mountain the sun shone. It appears, from the subtle signs that the sun is giving its heat. Its thousand summits were filled with various shrines. He then created again the setting (Asta) hill filled with various jems. He then created there the charming and most beautiful mountains Mandara and Gandhamadana covered with flowers. On the summit of the latter he created the wonderful golden river Jamvu. He then created the mounts Trishikhara, Pushkara, Shubhra Pandura, the foremost of mountains Kailasha of the hue of a cloud and the mountain chief Himalaya covered with heavenly minerals. The Lord, assuming the form of a boar, created in the nothern division the heavenly river Madhudhara endued with all virtues and a hundred mouths. All those mountains had wings and could assume forms at will. The Lord Paramesthin made them all many coloured. Having thus made the various divisions of the earth the Lord thought of creating the gods and Asuras. The divine destroyer of the world, having blood-red eyes, created, on all sides, for the behoof of mankind, many beautiful hills and sacred rivers full of water.