Miscellaneous (1): Geographical Data

Some of the topics which could not be included in the above sections are discussed here.

The Bhūmi varga gives some information on the geographical data. Amarakośa gives such synonyms as–the earth–bhūmi; the world–jagatī; India–Bhārata, the subdivisions of the Bhārata varṣa, Janapada–an inhabited country and a country–Deśa.

(a) Bhūḥ (II. 1. 2; p. 70)–

[Earth:]

Amarakośa gives 39 words to denote the earth.

Kṣīrasvāmin explains that the word Bhūḥ etymologically signifies that 'everything is born out of this' and that the word is an indeclinable–

bhavatyasmātsarvaṃ bhūḥ, rephāntaṃ tvavyayaṃ, yathā—bhūrbhuvaḥ svaḥ |

(b) Bhārata varṣa (II. 7. 7; p. 71)–

[India:]

Amarakośa does not provide any other details of this country. Kṣīrasvāmin give additional information on the same with regard to its geographical or continental positions. He mentions that Bhārata varṣa is ninth portion of the sub-continent, Jambūdvīpa^[1]. It is named after king Bharata.

The other eight countries^[2] of the Jambūdvīpa are named as–

āyaṃ jambūdvīpanavamāṃśo bharatasya kṣatriyasyedaṃ bhārataṃ nāma varṣaṃ bhūmyekadeśaḥ tathā ca—himavāṃhemakūṭaśca niṣadho merurantare | nīlaḥ śvetaśca śṛṅgīvān gandhamādanamaṣṭamamiti sīmāvicchinnānyanyānīlavṛttādīnyaṣṭau varṣāṇi |

¹¹⁹ Vyāsa bhāṣya on Pātañjala yoga sūtra (III. 26) mentions seven continents–Jambū, Śaka, Kuśa, Kraunca Śālmala, Magadha and Puśkara.

¹²⁰ ibid., mentions seven varṣas–Ramaṇaka, Hiraṇmaya, Uttarakuru, Harivarṣa, Kimpuruṣa, Bhārata and Ilāvṛta

The divisions of Bhāratavarṣa (II. 1. 8-9; p.71): The eastern region is defined by Amarakośa as the region falling to the south of the river Śarāvatī, the northern as that which is to the west of the river Śarāvatī; and the middle region as madhyadeśa.

Explaining the madhyadeśa, Kṣīrasvāmin quote Manu (2/21)–

yanmanuḥ—
himavadvindhyayorantaryatprāgvinaśanādapi |
pratyageva prayāgācca madhyadeśaḥ prakīrtitaḥ |

(c) Āryāvarta (II. 1. 9; p. 71)–

Amarakośa defines this region as the puṇyabhūmi, holy place, the region between the Himālayas and Vindhya.

Kṣīrasvāmin supplements the statement of Amarakośa, quoting Manu's text (II. 22)

“The land lying between the eastern and western seas and included between the Vindhya and the Himālayas is called Āryāvarta”–

āsamudrāttu vai pūrvādāsamudrāttu paścimāt |
tayorevāntaraṃ giryorāryāvartaṃ vidurbudhāḥ ||

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vyāsa bhāṣya on Pātañjala yoga sūtra (III. 26) mentions seven continents–Jambū, Śaka, Kuśa, Kraunca Śālmala, Magadha and Puśkara.

[2]:

ibid., mentions seven varṣas–Ramaṇaka, Hiraṇmaya, Uttarakuru, Harivarṣa, Kimpuruṣa, Bhārata and Ilāvṛta