अहो सुमहद् आख्यानं भवता परिकीर्तितम् भारतानां च सर्वेषां पार्थिवानां तथैव च
Ah, what a great narrative you have recounted, concerning all the Bharatas and likewise all the kings.
देवानां दानवानां च गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम् दैत्यानाम् अथ सिद्धानां गुह्यकानां तथैव च
And of the gods, the demons, the Gandharvas, serpents, and Rākṣasas, as well as the Daityas, Siddhas, and Guhyakas likewise.
अत्यद्भुतानि कर्माणि विक्रमा धर्मनिश्चयाः विविधाश् च कथा दिव्या जन्म चाग्र्यम् अनुत्तमम्
Deeds most wondrous, acts of valor, firm determinations of dharma, and various divine stories, as well as the highest and unsurpassed birth—
सृष्टिः प्रजापतेः सम्यक् त्वया प्रोक्ता महामते प्रजापतीनां सर्वेषां गुह्यकाप्सरसां तथा
The creation of Prajāpati has been properly described by you, O greatly wise one, as well as all the Prajāpatis, the Yakṣas, and the Apsarases.
स्थावरं जङ्गमं सर्वम् उत्पन्नं विविधं जगत् त्वया प्रोक्तं महाभाग श्रुतं चैतन् मनोहरम्
All that is stationary and moving, the entire diverse world that has arisen, has been spoken of by you, O highly fortunate one, and all this delightful account has been heard.
कथितं पुण्यफलदं पुराणं श्लक्ष्णया गिरा मनःकर्णसुखं सम्यक् प्रीणात्य् अमृतसंमितम्
The Purāṇa, which bestows holy fruit, has been told in gentle words, pleasing to mind and ear, truly delightful and comparable to nectar.
इदानीं श्रोतुम् इच्छामः सकलं मण्डलं भुवः वक्तुम् अर्हसि सर्वज्ञ परं कौतूहलं हि नः
Now we wish to hear about the entire circle of the earth; you, who know all, are worthy to speak of it, for our curiosity is indeed great.
यावन्तः सागरा द्वीपास् तथा वर्षाणि पर्वताः वनानि सरितः पुण्यदेवादीनां महामते
How many oceans, continents, regions, mountains, forests, and rivers there are, O greatly wise one, and also of the holy gods and others—
यत्प्रमाणम् इदं सर्वं यदाधारं यदात्मकम् संस्थानम् अस्य जगतो यथावद् वक्तुम् अर्हसि
What is the measure of all this, upon what is it founded, and of what nature is it? You should describe, as it truly is, the structure of this world.
मुनयः श्रूयताम् एतत् संक्षेपाद् वदतो मम नास्य वर्षशतेनापि वक्तुं शक्यो ऽतिविस्तरः
O sages, listen as I tell this in brief; for even in a hundred years, its full extent could not be completely described.
जम्बूप्लक्षाह्वयौ द्वीपौ शाल्मलश् चापरो द्विजाः कुशः क्रौञ्चस् तथा शाकः पुष्करश् चैव सप्तमः
Jambū and Plakṣa are the names of two continents, and Śālmala is another, O twice-born; Kuśa, Krauñca, and likewise Śāka, and Puṣkara is the seventh.
एते द्वीपाः समुद्रैस् तु सप्त सप्तभिर् आवृताः लवणेक्षुसुरासर्पिर् दधिदुग्धजलैः समम्
These continents are each surrounded by seven oceans: of salt, sugarcane juice, wine, clarified butter, curds, milk, and water, respectively.
जम्बूद्वीपः समस्तानाम् एतेषां मध्यसंस्थितः तस्यापि मध्ये विप्रेन्द्रा मेरुः कनकपर्वतः
Jambūdvīpa is situated at the center of them all; and in its middle, O best of Brāhmaṇas, stands Meru, the golden mountain.
चतुरशीतिसाहस्रैर् योजनैस् तस्य चोच्छ्रयः प्रविष्टः षोडशाधस्ताद् द्वात्रिंशन् मूर्ध्नि विस्तृतः
Its height is eighty-four thousand yojanas; it extends sixteen thousand below, and at the summit, it spreads thirty-two thousand.
मूले षोडशसाहस्रैर् विस्तारस् तस्य सर्वतः भूपद्मस्यास्य शैलो ऽसौ कर्णिकाकारसंस्थितः
At its base, it measures sixteen thousand yojanas all around; this mountain, like the pericarp of a lotus of the earth, is shaped like a kernel.
हिमवान् हेमकूटश् च निषधस् तस्य दक्षिणे नीलः श्वेतश् च शृङ्गी च उत्तरे वर्षपर्वताः
To its south are Himavat, Hemakūṭa, and Niṣadha; to the north are Nīla, Śveta, and Śṛṅgī—these are the region-mountains.
लक्षप्रमाणौ द्वौ मध्ये दशहीनास् तथापरे सहस्रद्वितयोच्छ्रायास् तावद्विस्तारिणश् च ते
Two among them measure one hundred thousand each, and the others are less by ten thousand; their height is two thousand, and they are equally broad.
भारतं प्रथमं वर्षं ततः किंपुरुषं स्मृतम् हरिवर्षं तथैवान्यन् मेरोर् दक्षिणतो द्विजाः
The first region is Bhārata, then comes the one called Kiṃpuruṣa, and likewise Harivarṣa, all to the south of Meru, O twice-born.
रम्यकं चोत्तरं वर्षं तस्यैव तु हिरण्मयम् उत्तराः कुरवश् चैव यथा वै भारतं तथा
To the north is the region called Ramyaka, and then Hiraṇmaya; and the Northern Kurus as well, just as Bhārata is.
नवसाहस्रम् एकैकम् एतेषां द्विजसत्तमाः इलावृतं च तन्मध्ये सौवर्णो मेरुर् उच्छ्रितः
Each of these, O best of twice-born, measures nine thousand yojanas; and in the middle of them is Ilāvṛta, with the golden Meru rising high.
मेरोश् चतुर्दिशं तत्र नवसाहस्रविस्तृतम् इलावृतं महाभागाश् चत्वारश् चात्र पर्वताः
There, surrounding Meru on all four sides, lies the illustrious Ilāvṛta, nine thousand yojanas wide, and four great mountains are found there.
विष्कम्भा वितता मेरोर् योजनायुतविस्तृताः पूर्वेण मन्दरो नाम दक्षिणे गन्धमादनः
These are the vast buttresses of Meru, each ten thousand yojanas wide: to the east is Mandara by name, to the south Gandhamādana.
विपुलः पश्चिमे पार्श्वे सुपार्श्वश् चोत्तरे स्थितः कदम्बस् तेषु जम्बूश् च पिप्पलो वट एव च
To the west stands Vipula, and to the north Supārśva; among them grow the kadamba, jambū, pippala, and vaṭa trees.
एकादशशतायामाः पादपा गिरिकेतवः जम्बूद्वीपस्य सा जम्बूर् नामहेतुर् द्विजोत्तमाः
There are trees eleven hundred yojanas tall, the mountain-lords; among them, O best of twice-born, the jambū tree gives its name to Jambūdvīpa.
महागजप्रमाणानि जम्ब्वास् तस्याः फलानि वै पतन्ति भूभृतः पृष्ठे शीर्यमाणानि सर्वतः
The fruits of that jambū tree are the size of great elephants, and as they fall and decay upon the mountain's slopes, they spread everywhere.
रसेन तेषां विख्याता तत्र जम्बूनदीति वै सरित् प्रवर्तते सा च पीयते तन्निवासिभिः
From their juice, renowned there, the river called Jambūnadī arises, and it is drunk by the inhabitants of that land.
न खेदो न च दौर्गन्ध्यं न जरा नेन्द्रियक्षयः तत्पानस्वस्थमनसां जनानां तत्र जायते
For those who drink it, there is no fatigue, no foul odor, no aging, nor decline of the senses; such is the effect upon the people there.
तीरमृत् तद्रसं प्राप्य सुखवायुविशोषिता जाम्बूनदाख्यं भवति सुवर्णं सिद्धभूषणम्
When the river's juice reaches the shore and is dried by gentle winds, it becomes gold called Jāmbūnada, fit for the ornaments of the perfected.
भद्राश्वं पूर्वतो मेरोः केतुमालं च पश्चिमे वर्षे द्वे तु मुनिश्रेष्ठास् तयोर् मध्ये त्व् इलावृतम्
To the east of Meru is Bhadrāśva, to the west Ketumāla; these are two regions, O best of sages, and between them lies Ilāvṛta.
वनं चैत्ररथं पूर्वे दक्षिणे गन्धमादनम् वैभ्राजं पश्चिमे तद्वद् उत्तरे नन्दनं स्मृतम्
In the east is the forest Caitraratha, in the south Gandhamādana, in the west Vaibhrāja, and in the north is the renowned Nandana.