Chapter 48 - The Mountain Meru

Sūta said:

1. In the middle of this Jambu Dvīpa is the great mountain Meru^[1]. It is the most excellent among the mountains, having many peaks full of jewels.

2. It is reputed to be eighty-four thousand yojanas in height. It has entered sixteen thousand yojanas beneath the ground and it extends to sixteen thousand yojanas.

3. Since it is stationed like a shallow plate the extent on the top is thirty-two thousand yojanas. Three times its width is its girth at the ridges.

4. It is rendered golden due to the auspicious contact with the body of Maheśa. It resembles the flower of the Dhattūra plant (thorn apple). It is the abode of all Devas.

5. It is the sporting ground for Devas. It is full of miracles. The total width and extent of this mountain is a hundred thousand yojanas.

6-7. O leading brahmins, beneath the earth its extent is sixteen thousand yojanas. The remaining part of that mountain is above the earth. The extent at the root is thus sixteen thousand yojanas and the extent above, they say, is twice the extent at the root.

8. In the east it has the lustre of the ruby; in the south it resembles gold; in the west it shines like the blue stone and in the north it has the coral lustre.

9. In the eastern side of this mountain is Amarāvatī (the city of Indra). It is full of mansions of different kinds. It is thronged by different groups of Devas. It is surrounded by clusters of jewels.

10-14. It has many ornamental gateways of different shapes bedecked in gold and jewels. The arches at the gateways are rendered wonderful with gold, with jewels set in. Thousands of women throng the roadways. They are clever in conversation and elocution. They are bedecked in all ornaments. They stoop down due to the weight of their heavy breasts and their eyes roll to and fro due to intoxication. The Apsaras (water nymphs) move about all round. There are wonderful lakes, tanks, and rivers, all clustered with full blown lotuses. They have golden lines of steps. Even the sands on their banks are golden. Blue and fragrant golden lotuses abound in them. Thus the whole city shines splendidly. With that city the mountain is considered auspicious.

15. In the south-eastern side of the mountain is Tejasvinī the city of the fire god. It is divine and similar to Amaravati. It is endowed with all means of pleasures.

16. O sages, most excellent among those who have self-control, in the southern, side of the mountain is the city of Yama Vaivasvata. It is full of many divine abodes built in gold and very splendid.

17-18. In the south-west is the splendid dark-coloured city Śuddhavatī.^[2] Similarly in the north-west is the splendid city Gandhavatī. The city in the north is Mahodayā and that in the north-east is Yaśovatī. Thus cities in all the quarters always shine.

19. There are the abodes of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśa as well as of others on it. Thus the mountain endowed with all means of pleasures and containing many lakes, is the most excellent among the mountains.

20. It is full of Siddhas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, sages and the four kinds of living beings.

21-22. O leading brahmins, on the mountain towards the left, stands a palace of seven storeys that is as clear as pure crystal. It is as extensive as though it has a thousand landing grounds. There stays lord Śiva of great arms, whose eyes are the sun, moon and fire. He is seated in a gemset throne along with the goddess and the six-faced deity Kārttikeya.

23-27. The palace of Viṣṇu is also there. It extends to half of that of lord Śiva and he (Viṣṇu) stays there. In the south is the divine palace of the lotus-born deity Brahmā. It is full of rubies. There is the city of Indra which is very large. There is the beautiful city of Yama. There are the cities of Soma, Varuṇa, Nirṛti, Pāvaka (fire-god), Vāyu (wind) and Rudra. In their different respective palaces there are the abodes of all people. In the north-east in the holy centre of the lord, perpetual worship is maintained. The holy Nandī stays there along with his disciples and the leading Siddhas. Sanat is comfortably lodged there along with the Siddhas. The lord of Devas is there along with Sanaka, Sananda and others.

28. Some part of it, is the ground for the practice of yoga. In some places are the grounds for enjoyment of pleasures. There is a splendid palace with seven storeys resembling the rising sun.

29-35. It is the splendid palace of Nandī and the chieftain of the Gaṇas is seated there in the midst of six-faced deity, Gaṇeśa, thousands of Gaṇas, Suyaśā of beautiful eyes, the mothers and Madana. The river Jambū^[3] flows round the base of this mountain.

To its right there is a splendid Jambū (Rose Apple) tree. It is very tall with extensive growth all round. It yields fruits at all times. The Ilāvṛta sub-continent is splendid and extensive all round the Meru. Some subsist there on the fruits of Jambū and some on nectar. Some have the lustre of gold and others are of various colours. They enjoy all kinds of pleasures. O brahmins, this is the splendid mid-land of the Dvīpa, which, extends all round the foot of the Meru. There are nine subcontinents in Jambūdvīpa.^[4] I shall recount all of them with their rivers, streams, and mountain ranges. Understand their extent in yojanas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

P. 98, note 127.

[2]:

Since no city in the west is mentioned, Kṛṣṇavarṇā and Śuddhavatī in the first half of V. 17 may also mean two cities, i.e. Kṛṣṇavarṇā in the south-east and Śuddhavatī in the west.

[3]:

Jambū: According to Marka. (55.28-30) this river springs from the juice of the fruits which the Jambu tree produces on the Gandhamādana. The river passes around Meru and then enters Jambūmūla.

[4]:

Jambūdvīpa represents the geographical conception of the territory ruled over by the Aryan people. The territory was divided into nine units (varṣas), of which Bhārata was one. St. Epiphanius (the end of the fourth century A.D.) has recorded that India was formerly divided into nine kingdoms (vide S.B. Chaudhuri, Journal of Indian History. Vol. XXVII part III, 1949, pp. 241).