Saptadvīpa (4): Krauñcadvīpa

The Krauñcadvīpa is a famous one among the seven dvīpas . Almost all the Mahā Purāṇas give description about the dvīpa . There are the descriptions of the Krauñcadvīpa in the Matsya Purāṇa , chapter 122. According to the Matsya Purāṇa its expansion is twice the extent of the Kuśadvīpa . Like quern, the Ghṛtasāgar is surrounded on all sides by the Krauñcadvīpa . There is a Mountain named ‘Devan ’ in this dvīpa . There is a Mountain named ‘Govinda ’ after ‘Devan ’ Mountain. After ‘Govinda ’ is the first Mountain named ‘Krauñca ’. After the ‘Kauñca ’ there is a Mountain called ‘Pāvanaka ’. After the ‘Pāvanaka ’ there is a Mountain named ‘Andhakāraka ’. Similarly, there is a Mountain after ‘Andhakāraka ’ named ‘Devāvṛta ’ and after ‘Devāvṛta ’ a huge Mountain is situated named ‘Puṇḍarīka ’. These seven Mountains of the Krauñcadvīpa are all full of many gems and stones.

The name of the region of the Krauñca Mountain is ‘Kuśala ’. The region of the ‘Vāmana ’ Mountain is called ‘Manoanuga ’. After the ‘Manoanuga ’ the third is called ‘Uṣṇa ’ region. After the ‘Uṣṇa ’ it is ‘Pāvanaka ’, followed by ‘Pāvanaka ’, ‘Andhakāraka ’ and after ‘Andhakāraka ’ is ‘Munideśa ’. The country is called ‘Dundubhisvana ’ after ‘Munideśa ’. This country is covered with the Siddhas and Cāraṇas . The residents of this place are often fair and supremely pure.

Holy and prosperous rivers also flow in every varṣa of this dvīpa . The ‘Gaurī ’, ‘Kumudvati ’, ‘Sandhyā ’, ‘Rātri ’, ‘Manojavā ’, ‘Khyāti ’, and ‘Puṇḍarīkā ’–these seven types of ‘Gangā ’ are told. There are thousands of other rivers, which are filled with inundated water flowing in the side of them, which have been found in these major rivers.^[1]