2. Brahma-purana: World Geography

There are seven continents, viz. Jambi, Plaksa,

845 Salmala, Kusa, Krauncu, saka and Puskara and they are surrounded by oceans of salt-water, sugar-cane juice, wine, ghee, curdled milk and milk. In the midst of all these Jambudvipa is situated. Meru, the golden mountain, is situated in the middle of it. Its height is 24,000 yojanas. It penetrates downwards 16,000 yojanas. The width of its peak is 32,000 yojanas. The area of its base is 16,000 yojanas. It appears like the petal of a lotus, To its south are situated the mountains Himavan, Hemakuta and Nisadha and to its north are the mountains Nila, Sveta and Spigin. Two of these great mountains are one lakh yojanas in extent and are situated in the middle, 12 the remaining mountains are less by ten and ten thousand yojanas in length and they are all two thousand yojanas in height and they have the same breadth.13 12 Nisadha on the south of Meru and Nila on the north, according to Visnu-Purana, Bk. II, Ch. ii. 13 18.11.17; Acc.to Sri M.M.Yajnik (ref.to note 18), the mountains Meru and others can be identified as under.:- (i) Mahameru - The range of mts.from Suparsva the Sayana mts.in the north to Gandhamadana the kuon-lun mts. in the south; and from Mandara, the kiuxta khingan mts.in the east to Vipula the Tian-Shan mts. in the west. S (ii) Meru - The Altai mts. (iii) The mountains of the three northern & the three southern countries: (a) Srigi The mountain forming the north-eastern boundary of the Uttarah Kuravah (b) Sveta The Bielukha (white mountains). (c) Nila - a peak of the Altei mts. (d) Himavat The Himalaya mts. (e) Hemakuta - The Ta-Sai-Shan mts. (f) Nisadha The un-an-uling mts. -

846 To the south of the mountain Meru are situated the countries Bharata, Kimpurusa and Harivarsa and to its north are situated the countries Ramyaka, Hiranmaya and Uttarakuru. In the middle of all these countries is situated the Ilavrtavarsa covering the mountain Meru from all the sides for 9,000 yojanas.14 situated. On the four sides of Meru, four mountains are Mandara is situated on the east, Gandhamadana in the south, Vipula in the west and Suparsva in the north. They are decorated with the standard trees. Thus the trees Kadamba, Jamba, Pippia and Vata are situated on the four mountains respectively. These mountains are eleven hundred yojanas in extent.15 A tree of Jambu is situated in the middle of Jambudvipa after which it takes its name. The juice of the Jambu tree flows and becomes a river. 14 18.18-21, Yajnik M.M. in an appendix to his book called Genealogical Tables of the Solar and Lunar dynasties with the Map of Jambudvipa identifies all the dvipas in the following way: Jambudvipa Asia, excluding Asia, Minor and Arabia and the plains to the west of the Yeinsei. Nine principal countries: 1. Uttarakuru The Tundras & the Forest-belt of Siberia. 2. Hiranmaya - The south-eastern districts of Siberia, the centre of Aryan civilization from 6000 to 4500 B.C. 3. Ramyaka - The country between the river Yeinsei and the lake Balkhas. 4. Ketumala Russian Turkistan 'the birth place of Nations'. 5. Ilavrta Upper Mongolia and eastern Turkastan. 6. Bhadrasva - Manchuria 7. Harivarsa China proper, - 9. Bharata - India. 15 18.22,23%; ref. note '17'. 8. Kimpurusa - Tibet.

847 Four forests and four streams are situated on the four sides of the mountain Meru. Thus the forest Caltraratha is situated to its east, Gandhamadana to its south, Vaibhraja to its west and Nandana to its north. In the same way the streams Arunoda, Mahabhadra, Asitoda and Manasa are situated on the four sides of the mountain Meru (18.30,31). The Kesara mountains to the north of the mountain Meru are santavan, Cakrakunja, Karari and Malyavan and Vaikanka those to the west are Sikhivasa, Vaidurya, Kapila, Gandhamadana and Janudhi, those to the south are Trikuta, Sisira, Patanga, Rucaka, and Nisadha and those to the north are Jathara, Sankhakuta, Rsabha, Hansa, Naga and Kalanjara (18.32-36). Moreover, the court of lord Brahma is situated on the mountain Meru and it is a great city having an qgea of 14,000 yojanas and in all its eight directions and sub-direct -ions are situated the courts of Indra and other lokapalas (18.36-38). The divine river Ganges issues forth from the foot of lord Visnu, enters the moon and after passing through the court of lord Brahma, it falls from the sky after dividing itself into four parts, viz. Sita, Alakananda, Caksu and Bhadra. The eastern stream known as Site passed from one

848 mountain to the other and flowing through Bhadrasva, she entered the ocean. The stream known as Alakananda enters Bharata after flowing southward, then it enters ocean and divides itself into seven parts. The stream known as Caksu } flows westward and after flowing through the country Ketumala it enters the ocean. The stream known as Bhadra passes through Uttaragiri and Uttarakuru and enters the ocean. 16 The mountains Gandhamadana and Malyavan extend to Nila and Nisadha. In the middle of both of them Meru is situated in the form of a petal. The Bharaba, Ketumala, Bhadrasva and Kuru are the leaves of this lotus. The mountains Jathara and Devakuta 17 are the boundary mountains and extend to Nila and Nisadha, from south to north (18.44-46). The mountains Gandhamadana and Kailasa stretch from east to west and are situated at the end of the ocean for 80 The Nisadha and Pariyatra are boundary mountains and yojanas. 16 18.38-44. The dana,falls Its four great rivers are: (1) Bhadra into the aretic ocean (uttara samudra). (11) Sita - The Amur, falls into the pacific ocean (Purnarnava). (iii) Alakananda - The Ganges falls into the Indian pcean (Daksina Mahasagara). (iv) Caksus The oxus, falls into the sea of Aral (ksarodadhi). 17 Jathara The stanvoi mts. Devakuta - The yablonoi mts. acc.to Shri M.M.Yajnik, Op.Cit., They form the eastern boundary.

849 18 The and extend to Nila and Nisadha from south to north. mountains Trisriga and Jarudhi are the two mountains on the north and they, like the two former ones extend to the ocean, These eight are called the boundary mountains (18.50-52), r The valleys among these mountains are exceedingly charming and they are decorated with forests and cities. They are terrestrial heavens and in them reside the siddhas, caranas, Laxmi, Visnu, Agni, Surya, Indra and other gods. These are the places of daily enjoyments for Gandharvas, Yaksas, Raksasas, Daityas and Danavas. The people live here for 10,000 to 12,000 years, and here no one is affected by any kind of mental agitation. In Bhadrasva, lord Visnu is figured with a house's head, in Ketumala he has the form of a boar; in Bharata, that of a tortoise and he has the form of a fish in the north (18.57-60). 3 18 18.47-49, missing in ms. 'ka'. mts. me Gandhamadana - The Kuen-lun mts., Kailasa The Karakoram They form the southern boundary; Nisadha The Balkan mts., Pariyatra - The Paropamisus mits., they form the western boundary; Trisrnga & Jarudhi. - The mountains north of the Altai mountains. - M.M.Yajnik, Op.Cit., For further details about the Peuranic Geography, vide also, Siddhesvarashastri Citrav; Bharata -varsiya pracina caritrakosa (in Marathi), Appendix 2, PP.664-669. yi yi

Jambudvipa Ketu mala C . C = country M Forest Lake Mountain Tree 1 Brahmasabha Uttaragiri Uttarakuru Hiranmayavarsa Ramyakavarsa Srngavan, Nila, Sveta M. Sankhakuta, Rsabha, Hansa, Nagakalanjara Vipula(m) Pippala (t) Valbhraja(f) Asitoda (I) Idikhivasa Kesara (Vaidurya mounta- Kapila ins (Gandhamadana (Jarudhi Ilavrta Varsa Kesara Mts. Suparsva (M.) Meru (m) Mandara (m) Kadamba (t) Caitraratha (f) Bhadra Gandhamadana¸ (m) Arunoda (L) -sva Jambu (t) Santavan l Gandhamadana (f) Mahabhadra (L). Cakrakunja Kesara Kurari (mountains Malyevan Vaikanka I -Kesara mts. Trikuta, Sisira, Patanga, Reaka, Nisadha M Himavan, Nisadha, Hemakuta. Harivarsa Kim purusavarsa Bharatavarsa 850