The Concept of the Earth in Puranas

The Concept of the Earth in Puranas [puranesu bhumervarnanam] / By Sri Ramji Pandey ; Purana Section; Deptt. of Ancient Indian History and Culture, B.H.U., Varanasi / 252-266

[ asmin lekhe puranesupalabdhasya prthivi sambandhivarnanasya veda- jyotisa- sampratika-matasya cadharena pramanikam vivecanam krtam | prthivya utpatti pravasthiti vistara vibhagadivisayanamullekho vartate | varnanam va puranesu itaragranthesu ca atra esam sarvesam visayanam sangopanga vivecanam krtam | prthivi tu adharabhuta srasit sarvesam sarvadaiva srutah itaragrahapeksaya prthivya jnanamapi adhikamasit | puranesu bhuvana kosavarnanaprasange prthivya vibhagasya vyapakam varnanamupalabhyate | idam sarva prthivi sambandhivarnanam jyotisagranyesupalabdhena vivaranena saha sranyatraprapta- vivaranena saha ca kvacitsamyam kvacidvebhinyam ca bhajate | adhovartisa sa- lokanamuparivarti saptalokanamapi nirdeso'tra vihitah | esam sarvesam visayanam sapramanam sayuktikam ca vivecanamatra lekhakamahodayena krtam | ] The earth, being one of the most important factors of our existence, is better known to us than any other natural phenomenon from time immemorial. The ancient Indian seers were cautious enough to note its general characteristics and changes on its surface which are recorded in the Indian literature. Here an attempt is made to present the ancient Indian outlook, mainly from the Puranas about its origin, shape, situation, extent, different geographical divisions, its seven upper and lower regions, motion and gravitations, etc. As the Puranas, having wide informations about our culture, are interlinked with the Vedas, it is necessary to produce their views of the Earth in comparison with the Vedic and later astronomical statements. Various synonyms :-In the Vedic literature we find as many as twentyone synonyms of the earth (Prthivi) recorded in the Nighantu' which, with a few exceptions, were also current in 1. gauh ; gma jmah ksmah ksa, ksamah ksonih, ksitih, avanih, urvih prthvi ; mahi ; ripah sraditihh ila ; nirrtihh bhuh ; bhumih pusa ; gatuh ; gotra ityekavimsatih prthivinamadheyani | Nighantu, I. 1.

July, 1970] CONCEPT OF THE EARTH IN THE PURANAS 253 the classical period.¹ Yaska comments the word go as 'The word go is a synonym of earth (so called) because it goes very far or because all the beings go over it (Nirukta, II-5.). Puranas accepted the Vedic as well as classical synonyms with some modifications The Brahma-Vaivartta gives etymological explanations of some of these words as follows.2 "This earth is called bhumi as all the beings exist on it, Vasudha as it possesses vasus or gems, urvi due to its origin from the thighs of Lord Hari, dharani, dharitri and dhara as upholds everything, ijya as it fulfils the requirements of the sacrifices, kshiti, as it is destroyed in the great dissolution, kasyapi being connected with Kasyapa, achala due to its immovable nature, visvambhara as it sustains all, anant a due to its endless nature, prthvi being the daughter of Prthu and mahi due to its extensive nature''.3 Origin of the Earth : While dealing with the science of creation the Puranas clearly mention the order in which the creation came into being. That process reveals some facts regarding the origin of the earth. The Puranic principle of creation is mainly based on Vedic cosmogony which was later on followed by the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The Rgveda records various theories regarding creation which are sadasadvada, rajovada, vyomavada, aparavada, avaranavada, ambhovada, amrta-mrtyuvada, daivavada, etc. Here the doctrine of ambhovada is much valuable for us as it is closer to our Puranic doctrine of ekarnava and hiranyagarbha vidya. According to the 1. bhurbhumiracalananta rasa visvambhara sthira | dhara dharitri dharani ksoni jya kasyapi ksitih || sarvamsaha vasumati vasudhorvi vasumdhara | gotra kuh prthivi prthvi ksmavanirmedini mahau || 2. Prakrtikhanda IX. 29-33. Amarakosa, II. 2-3. 3. For a correct etymological exposition of these words see the Commentary of Kshirasvamin on Amarakosa and that of Devarajayajvan on the Nighantu. 4. Nasadiyasukta, X. 129. 5. For their detailed exposition, see Agrawala's 'Sparks from the Vedic Fire' pp. 61-77.

254 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XII, No. 2 ambhovada Waters were conceived as primeval source of all creation and this whole universe proceded from that infinite ocean designated as salilam (Rv. X. 129.3) of unfathomed depth. From Waters was born Agni which symbolises the principle of Motion and Light. All creation is spoken of as the result of the union of Agni and Soma (agnisomatmakam jagat). This union gave birth to Hiranyagarbha, the supreme principle of creation which supports dyavaprithivi (Sa dadhara prithivim dyamutemam Rv. X. 121.1). This Vedic principle of creation was later on accepted by Manu, who also supports the original theory that the Waters were first created from the unmanifest tamas and a Golden Egg floated over the surface for a thousand years, divided itself into two halves representing the heaven and earth.¹ The Puranic writers took the theme from Vedic and Manu's Hiranyagarbha doctrine and put it in the form of an interesting legend which runs as follows: 'At the time of dissolution when this whole universe had become one ocean the creator Lord Narayana = Brahma rested for a Kalpa and on its expiry awaking from his slumber saw this universe and became engaged in the creation. Inferring that the earth was sinking under Waters he took the form of a Divine Boar and entered the primeval waters for its search Thus the supreme soul, the holder of earth, at once lifted her up and set it on the floods just like a boat which never sinks due to the flatness of its frame. He for the good of this world created the mountains which were previously burnt by samvarttakagni at the time of dissolution. this he properly divided the land containing islands, mountains and rivers, etc. Then he created the four lokas bhuh, etc.' Similar accounts are found in almost all the Puranas which describe the 1. apa eva sasarjadau tasu bijamavasrjat | After tadandamabhavad haimam sahasramsusamaprabham || * x tasminnande sa bhagavanusitva parivatsaram | ff svayamevatmana dhyanattadandamakarod dvidha | tabhyam sa sakalabhyam ca divam bhumi ca nirmame || Manu, I. 8-9; 12-13.

255 July, 1970] CONCEPT OF THE EARTH IN THE PURANAS creation in detail. Prof. Wilson has taken this account to be purely mythological and has stated as follows: "The elevation of the earth from beneath the ocean in this allegorical representation deluge of inquary by the form, was therefore, probably, at first an of the extrication of the world from a rites of religion. Geologists may perhaps suspect in the original and unmystified tradition, an allusion to a geological fact or the existence of lacustrine mammalia in the early periods of the earth". " There may be some truth in the above words but being mythological they symbolise some natural incident which has much bearing on the formation of earth. These are symbolical expressions which are frequent in the Vedic literature where the Waters are described as the primeval source of creation and the creator as a Boar." Similar ideas regarding the origin of this universe are found in other civilisations of the world.4 Apart from the above account we find another detcription which is much more geographical in nature contained in the Bhuvanakosa chapters of the Puranas. There it has been said that 'from the 1. Kurma I. 6.23-25, etc. Brahminda I. 1.4.27-30; 1.5. 1-28. Matsya ch. 247. Markandeya 47. 5-14. Vishnu I.4. 6-10; 45-49. Vayu I. 6. 25-34. Linga I.4. 59-63 2. Wilson Vishnu Purana translation p. 23, New edition (1961) from Punthi Pustaka Calcutta 4. 3. Tait Brah. I. 1.3. Tait. Samhita VII. 1.5, apart from this Rigveda X, 190. 1.3; 72. 1-5 also contain some references to carth's creation. 4. Prof. Ali in his Geography of the Puranas, p 187, summarising the Vedic and Puranic view comments thus :-- 2 The central idea of various cosmogonic, theories of the Vedic and post-vedic period appears to be the existence of Waters in the beginning of the creation of cosmic nucleus-Prajapati (Rv. X. 121.7) the maker of this universe. This nucleus is often named as Hiranyagarbha (Golden Egg) which is considered as the source of the existence of all mundane and heavenly entities because it contained fire within itself...Not only the Puranas but also the basic concepts of cosmology in different parts of the old world confirmed the general pattern laid down by the Vedic writers."

256 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XII, No. 2 Great God Mahadeva, unmanifest in nature, a sanatana-lokapadma orginated, from that the four-faced god Brahma and from his navallotus this earth came into being in 'the form of a lotus. Mountain Meru was the pericarp of this lotus-shaped earth, It had four petals which were the four continents round the mouutain Meru, viz. Bhadrasva, Bharat, Ketumala, aud Uttarakuru.' Though there is some difference between the cosmological and geographical statements, the original source seems to be the same, the unmanifest, i. e. the primeval Waters (salilam). This became Hiranyagarbha and from this proceeded the whole universe. Age of the Earth :We may have an idea about the age of the earth from the account contained in the pratisarga (dissolution) chapters of the Puranas. We find three types of dissolution (i) incidental (ii) elemental and (iii) absolute. The first takes place at the end of cach Kalpa which comes about after 4320 million years; the second after two parardhas and the last occurs on the expiry of the age of Brahma. Thus the sequence of events during the period of incidental dissolution are desiccation, destruction and deluge, after which the process of creation is repeated and marks the beginning of the next Kalpa. Brahma's awakening represents creation and his sleep the dissolution. Modern geology on the basis of uraniam lead ratios fixes the age of the earth about 2000 million years. Prof. Ali has shown a fair degree of similarity in the statements of the Puranas and modern geological conceptions. arrived at the conclusion "If we identify a Kalpa or Brahma's day with the inter-revolutionary period and the revolution with the incidental dissolution of the Puranas and the transgression of the earth in an envelop of water as conceived by the Puranics the two accounts tally accurately except in point of time. The Brahma's day or Kalpa is given as 4,320,000,000 years while the later interrevolutionary periods do not extend beyond 100-150 million years and are not of equal duration 2." Shape of the earth :He has No clear reference to its shape is mentioned in the Vedas. A passage in the Aitareya Brahmana clearly evinces the circular 1. 2. Vayu II. 34.36-37; 42-46; 56-60. cf. Varaha 75.41-50. Geography of the Puranas' p. 196.

July, 1970] CONCEPT OF THE EARTH IN THE PURANAS 257 shape of the earth.¹ From the import of certain mantras in the Rgveda it follows that its shape is circular 2. The Puranas describe it in the form of a lotus. The words like bhuvalaya (Bha. V. 21.1, 19), kuvalaya (Bha. V. 16.5,7), bhugolaka (Bha. V. 16.4), Mahigola indicate the (Panchasiddhantika, Trailokya-Samsthana 1.1.) roundness of its shape. Later on in the Jyotishasiddhanta age it was accepted as circular like a ball.4 From the statement of Sripati, a tenth century astronomical writer it is clear that three types of opinions were curreut regarding the shape of the earth in his time. Some held it to be plain like a mirror (mukurodara-samnibha), others like the back of a tortoise (kurmaprishthasadrsi), and lotus-shaped (sarojakrti) according to the Puranas.5 Lalla and Bhaskara both rejected the flatness of the earth on the ground: "had the earth been flat, the palm-like tall trees even standing afar would have been visible. "if the goddess earth were plain like a mirror why then the Sun revolving on high be not visible to men as it is to immortals".6 1. "The (Sun) never really sets or rises. In that they think of him 'He is setting', verily having reached the end of the day, he inverts himself; thus he makes evening below, day above. Again in that they think of him 'He is rising in the morning', verily having reached the end of night he inverts himself; thus he makes day below, night above. He never sets, indeed he never sets, union with him and identity of form and world he attains who knows thus". Rigveda Brahmanas Translated, Keith, Ait. III. 4.44, page 193. cf Gopatha IX.10. 2. Rv, I. 33.8; 1V. 53.3. 3. Padmakara samut panna, Vayu II. 34.44, Vishnu II. 12.37, Brahma 13.25, Varaha 81.8. Bhagavata V. 16.5. 4. Kandukarupa dhatri Maharyabhatiyam, Golapada. 5. 5. adarsodarasamnibha bhagavati visvambhara kirtita | kaiscit kaisvana kurmaprsthasadrsi kaiscit sarojakrtih || Sripati, quoted in Siddhantasiromani, Bhuvanokosa. 6. samata yadi vidyate bhuvastaravastalanibha bahucchrayah | kathameva na drstigocaram nuraho yanti sudurasamsthitah || yadi samamukurodarasamnibha bhagavati upari duragato'pi paribhraman kimu Lalla, quoted in Siddhantasiromani dharani taranih ksiteh | narairamarairiva neksyate || Siromani, Bhuvanakosa 11.12.

258 Situation :- puranam - PURANA [Vol. XII, No. 2 The earth is supported by a mythical serpent (sesha) is the general view of the Puranas. Some believe that it is on the back of a tortoise, an incarnation of Vishnu. Bhag. V. 20.39 mentions that the earth is held by the four divine elephants. These statements of the Puranic writers seem to be groundless and have been rejected by later astronomical authorities. They propounded the view that this sphere stands by itself through gravitation in the wide space 3 Lalla criticised the Puranic notion that this earth is placed like a boat on the waters, on the ground that: 'the situation of the earth on waters is not possible as in that case it would have been dissolved in them and if it were taken to be placed on some base that also be nothing more than the earth itself or if the earth is considered to have been placed on water which also in turn remains baseless like the sky. If such a huge terrestrial globe may stand on waters why should it not he taken as standing in the sky by it sell ?". Bhaskara II (about A.D. 1150) exposed the absurdity of the views that the earth is placed on the head af a serpent (Sesha) or a tortoise. If we accept that it is sopported by any material base which in turn, will require another base to hold it on and thus there would be no end to this. Then 1. teneyam nagavaryena sirasa vidhrta mahi | birbhata malam lokanam sadevasuramanusam || Vishnu II. 5.27; Bhagavata V. 25.2, 12. VI. 16.48. 2. ksitirativipulatare tava tisthati prsthe, Gitagovindam I. 2. 3. graniladhara kecit kecilloka vasundharadhara | vasudha nanyadhara tisthati gagane svasaktyaiva || 4. apsu pariplavam prthvim Brahma I. 43. Maharyabhatiyam 16.4. tasyopari jalaughasya mahati naurivasthita | Vayu I.. 6.27. 5. salile vilayo mrdo bhavediti gorapsu na yujyate sthitih | atha patragateti tatkatham na bhavedyavadilaiva parthivam || yadi vambhasi samsthita mahi salilam taddhruvadapratisthitam | gurunombhasi cet sthitirbhavet ksitigolasya na kim vihayasi || Lalla, qutoted in the footnote of Siromani, Bhuvanakosa.

July, 1970] CONCEPT OF THE EARTH IN THE PURANAS 259 why do we not accept the fact that this earth is supported by itself?¹ From observing the host of constellations constantly moving without any base in the sky the baselessness of the earth is lik-wise proved. He also rejected the belief of the Bauddhas that this earth is constantly falling downwards. Illustrating this point he further argues that an arrow shot upwards must not fall on the earth as the latter is far heavier than the former. As such the earth must fall more vehemently and both of them can never come tegether. But the arrow does actually fall on the earth. proves the gravitation of the earth.3 This fact Extent: In the Vedas the extent of the earth is nowhere mentioned with any accuracy except the vague statement that it is extensive. The Puranas give a rough statement that it is extended over five hundered million yojanas Wilson comments on it thus :- "This comprises the planetary sphere, for the diameter of the seven zones and oceans each ocean being of the same diameter as the continent it encloses, and each successive continent being twice the diameter of that which precedes it amounts to but two crores and fiftysix lacs, and Lokaloka is but ten thousand yojanas. So the whole is five crores ten lacs and ten thousand (5, 10, 10,000)"." 1. murti dharta ceddharitryastato'nyastasyapyanyo'syaiva matranavastha | antye kalpya cet svasaktih kimadye kim no bhumeh sastamurtasca murtih || Siromani, Bhuvanakosa. 4. 2. bhapanjarasya bhramanavalokadadharasunya kuriti pratitih | 3. srakrstisaktisca mahi taya yat khastham akrsyate tatpatativa bhati same 4- Kurma I. 45.4. Garuda I. 54.3. Bhagavata V. 2036. Vamana XI. 31 Vayu II. 50.68. Siva I. 12.2. Siromani, Bhuvanakosa 7. gurusvabhimukham svasaktya | samantat kva patatviyam rave || Siromani, Bhuvanakosa 6. Linga I. 49.2, Vishnu II. 4.97. Markandeya 54.4 (Pargiter, in his footnote, has written that taking the yojana as 40,000 feet, this diameter of the earth equals 3, 737, 878, 781 miles). 5. Vishnu Purana Translation p. 167, 8

260 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XII, No. 2 It was generally understood that the terrestrial sphere extends as far as it is illuminated by the rays of the Sun and the Moon.' It was extended upto Lokaloka mountain. Later on the astronomical authorities mention the diameter of the earth about 1581 yojanas. This measurement of the earth was differently accepted by various authorities. The diameter of the earth largely differs on account of various measurements of a yojana. Generally 32000 hands or ten English miles make a yojana and hence the diameter according to Panchasiddhantika comes about 10186 miles. It is about 7925 miles according to the modern calculations. According to the Vachaspati and Sabdarnavakosa a yojana is equal to 16000 hands or 5 miles. If this be accepted as the minimum extent of a yojana as is also supported by Huien T-sang's statement in the middle of the 7th A.D. the diameter estimated by Brahma Gupta will be identical with modern calculation i.e., about 7920 miles. Different Geographical divisions :In the Vedic period we find three divisions of the universe viz. Prithivi, Antariksha (the intermediate region) and Dyuloka (Heaven)2 but no specific divisions of the earth like Jambu and other coatinents are mentioned. It seems possible that this division took place somewhere between the Epic and Puranic age. The Mahabharata expanded the theory and the Puranas further elaborated it with its full particulars gradually. As many as three times the Puranas indicate incidents of its divisions, firstly, by the Divine Boar at the time of its establishment on the primeval waters, secondly, by Maharaja Prthu and lastly by Priyavrata, the son of 1. Matsya 124.1-2; 18. Brahma 23.13. Siva V.19.1. Vayu II.49, 186; 50.75. Vishnu II. VII. 3. Linga I. 53.33 2. RV. I. 34.6. Atharva XX. 34.2. 3. "Dr. Jensen has also discussed the seven-fold division of the earth's continents by the Babylonians and pointed out its resemblence with the Puranic account of the seven continents (kosmologie der-Babylonier 163-184). But I think that the parallel can be carried much further for I have shown elsewhere that this seven-fold division is to be found not only in the Puranas but also in the Vedas (Arctic Home 340. "Vedic chronology p. 143 by Prof. Tilaka.)" For seven divisions of the earth cf. Rgvedic Geography p. 39 by M.L. Bhargava.

July, 1970] CONCEPT OF THE EARTH IN THE PURANAS 261 Svayambhu Manu.¹ Geographically we have seen that lotus-shaped earth with Meru as pericarp and its four petals, viz., Bhadrasva, Bharata, Ketumala and Uttarakuru was orginated, from the unmanifest (avyukta). This was the ancient conception of the earth consisting of four dvipas (chaturdvipi) 2, the same was developed into that of seven continents (saptadvipi) later on. Priyavrata, a descendant of Manu divided this whole earth among his seven sons after their names. Those seven sons further divided their respective continents into seven sub-divisions each designated after their seven sons. Hence the Puranic writers describe the geography of seven continents with their seven Varsha-mountains, seven great rivers, etc. Pushkara is divided into two divisions while Jambu into nine, otherwise the order is the same. According to seven continental theory of the earth Jambu dvipa is in the centre of all continents with mountain Meru as its neval. It is encircled by an ocean of of salt of equal extent. Similarly Plaksha, Salmali, Kusa, Krauncha Saka and Pushkara each having double area of its preceding one. All of them are surrounded by an ocean of sugarcane juice, wine, ghee, curd, and sweetwater. The Puranic writers describe the geography of Jambudvipa in detail and here, too, that of Bharatavarsha still more elaborately. These accounts of World Geography are well-preserved in the bhuvanakosa chapters of the Puranas.³ Later on a second division is mentioned as Kurmavibhaga by Varahamihira, a sixth century astronomical authority, in his Samhita (ch. XIV), this division is also found in the Markandeya Purana (Ch. CVIII). Later Astronomers took these views from the Puranas and describe them in their own ways in their bhuvanakosavarnana. Concept of Brahmanda:-The Puranas often deal with the chaturdasa-bhuvanatmaka brahmanda constituting seven upper and seven lower divisions. The seven upper divisions including the 1. Bhag. IV. 18. 29-32. V. 1. 39-40. Brahma (chs. 18-28) Varaha (chs. 74-89) Agni (chs. 108-9, Linga (I. 46-53) Svarga chs. 3-9 2. Vayu II. 34. 36-37, 56-60. Matsya 113. 43-44. 3. Vayu (chs. 34-50) Matsya (chs. 123-128) Brahmanda (II. 16.19) Vishnu (II. 2.7) Vamano (chs. 11-13) Markandeya (chs. 54-60) 119.20) Kurma (I. chs. 43-50) Siva (V. 17-18) Garuda (I. 54-56) Bhagavata (V. 16-20) Padma, Vishnudharma. I. 6-11.

262 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XII, No. 2 earth are bhuh, bhuvah, svah, mahah, janah, tapah and satyam and the seven lower regions are atala, vitala, sutala, talatala, rasatala, mahatala and patala. The height of the earth from nether regions is mentioned as seventy thousand yojanas; each lower region covering a distance of ten thousand yojanas. About the seven lower regions the general idea of scholars is that these are layers of this very earth and nothing else. They abound in luxuries even more than heaven, inhabited by superhuman beings, viz. Nagas, Asuras, and Siddhas, etc. Among upper divisions the solar region is situated on a hundred thousand yojanas from the earth. On one Koti yojana from Dhruva is Jana from Jana at the distance of 8 Koti yajanas is tapoloka and 48 koti yojana above is satyaloka. Bhaskara II has identified bhurloka to the south of equator, bhuvah to the north, and svar in the Polar region. The Puranic writers also describe the seven spheres of the wind above the earth, viz. avaha, pravaha, samvaha, vivaha, paravaha and parivaha supported by astronomers too. Bhaskara has located the region of bhuvayu, sixty miles above the earth. Both Aryabhatta and Lalla and others also have accepted the same while the distance according to modern calculations is about 45 to 100 miles. Planetary distances:According to the Purana the ehrth is the lowest sphere among the seven upper lokas. Above it at a distance of one lac yojanas is the solar sphere, one lac yajana above the Sun is the lunar sphere then are those of Murcury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn situated at the distance of two lac yojanas from each other. There is some difference between the Puranic and astronomical sequence of planets, which begins with the earth and then occur moon, murcury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn and so on. It is clear from the above statement that Puranic writers did not know the exact orbits of the planets. The distance also stated by them is not correct. According to the Suryasiddhant, the distance between the earth and moon is equal to earth's radius i.e. 800 yojanas x 64.46. The distance of the Sun = earth's radius X 862=689450 1. Purana-vimarsa pp. 345-350. 2. For the upper divisions see Visnu II. 7, and Vayu II. 50. 3. Siromani Bhuvanakosa 43. 4. Kurma I. 41-6-7. 5. Linga I. 53.36-38. Vayu 67. 110-129, Sk, Mahesvara 38.53-60.

263 July, 1970] CONCEPT OF THE EARTH IN THE PURANAS yojanas which is 233000 times greater than earth's radius according to modern calculation. It seems that the Puranic writers had tried to measure the distance between earth and planets, it matters little, how far their conclusions tally with the modern calculations. Motion-Nowhere either in the Vedic or Puranic theory we find any reference to the earth's motion. In the Puranas only the planets are described as moving round the earth. Later astronomical writers have accepted the earth as stable, except Aryabhata I who has mentioned that this earth moves one kala in a prana. The stability of the ehrth is proved by the planets revolving round it. We see the luminary bodies going daily in the sky from east to west. Of them some are stationary (Naksatras) and some change their positions from west to east, these are called planets. Hence observing these two movements Aryabhata I had said that "As a man in a boat sees the banks and other things going against his direction so he sees the constellations moving westwards in the equatorial region."1 This proves that Aryabhata had accepted the daily movement of the earth. Later on, Brahma Gupta raised the objection saying "if the earth moves a Kala in a prana then whence and what route does it proceed? If it revolves why do not lofty objects fall. Lalla and others have also commented and criticised the theory saying 'if we accept movement in the earth how the birds will reach their nests, the arrows shot upwards in the sky will fall westward. The clouds will float west-wards and if it is said that it moves slowly, how is it possible to complete its round in a single day'". suryadi grahanam gatih Bhag. V.22.2; 23.3. 1. anulomagatinasthah pasyatyacalam vilomagam yadvat | acalani bhani tadvat samapascimagani lamkayam || Aryabhatiyam Golapada, 9. kuto vrajet kamadhvanam | 2. pranenaiti kalam bhuryadi tarhi samucchrayah kasmat || Brahmasiddhanta. XI sravartanamurvyascenna patanti 3. yadi calati ksama tada svakulayam kathamapnuyuh khagah | isavo'bhinabhah samujjhita nipatantah syurapampatedisi || purvabhimukhe bhrame bhuvo varunasabhimukho vrajeddhanah | atha mandamagattada bhavet kathamekena diva paribhramah || Lalla.

264 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XII, No. 2 Though these objections are removed by modern scholar's on new scientific lines still their historical importance is in no way less as they represent the gradual development of Hindu astronomical speculations and discoveries in which such theories were propounded in remote past. This is in short an account, of the earth, contained in the various ancient works. Apart from this the Puranic writers accepted it not only a mere terrestrial sphere but side by side they tried to see it in the form of a living unit as Visvambhara¹, the mother sustaining the world. 1 janani sarvabhutanam nanajanapadakirna nananadanadisaila srananta giyate devi seyam dhatri vidhatri ca sarvabhutadharadhara | nanadhisthanapattana || | naikajatisamakula | prthivi bahuvistara || Vayu II. 51. 1-2. sarvabhutagunadhika | aाdharamrta sarvesam maitreya jagatamiti || Visnu II. 4. 98. Kurma I. 45.5.