Linga Purana

पूर्वे किरातास्तस्यान्ते पश्चिमे यवनाः स्मृताः ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्या मध्ये शूद्राश् च सर्वशः

In the east are the Kirātas, at the end in the west are the Yavanas; in the middle are Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and everywhere the Śūdras.

इज्यायुद्धवणिज्याभिर् वर्तयन्तो व्यवस्थिताः तेषां संव्यवहारो ऽयं वर्तते ऽत्र परस्परम्

They are established in sacrifices, warfare, and trade; among them, mutual dealings proceed here with one another.

धर्मार्थकामसंयुक्तो वर्णानां तु स्वकर्मसु संकल्पश्चाभिमानश् च आश्रमाणां यथाविधि

Connected with righteousness, wealth, and desire, each class performs its own duties, with resolve and pride, according to the proper order of life-stages.

इह स्वर्गापवर्गार्थं प्रवृत्तिर्यत्र मानुषी तेषां च युगकर्माणि नान्यत्र मुनिपुङ्गवाः

Here, human activity is directed toward heaven and liberation; their actions are bound to the ages, and not otherwise, O best of sages.

दशवर्षसहस्राणि स्थितिः किंपुरुषे नृणाम् सुवर्णवर्णाश् च नराः स्त्रियश्चाप्सरसोपमाः

In Kiṃpuruṣa, the lifespan of humans is ten thousand years; the men are golden-hued, and the women are like celestial nymphs.

अनामया ह्यशोकाश् च सर्वे ते शिवभाविताः शुद्धसत्त्वाश् च हेमाभाः सदाराः प्लक्षभोजनाः

All of them are free from disease and sorrow, devoted to Śiva, pure in nature, golden in appearance, living with their spouses, and eating the fruit of the plakṣa tree.

महारजतसंकाशा हरिवर्षे ऽपि मानवाः देवलोकाच्च्युताः सर्वे देवाकाराश् च सर्वशः

In Harivarṣa too, the people resemble great silver; all are of divine form, having fallen from the world of the gods.

हरं यजन्ति सर्वेशं पिबन्तीक्षुरसं शुभम् न जरा बाधते तेन न च जीर्यन्ति ते नराः

They worship Hara, the Lord of all, and drink pure sugarcane juice; old age does not afflict them, nor do those people grow old.

दशवर्षसहस्राणि तत्र जीवन्ति मानवाः मध्यमं यन्मया प्रोक्तं नाम्ना वर्षमिलावृतम्

There, humans live for ten thousand years; the central region I have described is called Ilāvṛta by name.

न तत्र सूर्यस्तपति न ते जीर्यन्ति मानवाः चन्द्रसूर्यौ न नक्षत्रं न प्रकाशम् इलावृते

There, the sun does not shine, nor do the people grow old; in Ilāvṛta, there is neither moon nor sun nor star nor light.

पद्मप्रभाः पद्ममुखाः पद्मपत्त्रनिभेक्षणाः पद्मपत्त्रसुगन्धाश् च जायन्ते भवभाविताः

They are radiant like lotuses, with faces like lotuses, eyes resembling lotus petals, and fragrant like lotus leaves; they are born there, devoted to existence.

जम्बूफलरसाहारा अनिष्पन्दाः सुगन्धिनः देवलोकागतास्तत्र जायन्ते ह्यजरामराः

They live on the juice of jambū fruits, unmoving and fragrant; those who have come from the world of the gods are born there, free from old age and death.

त्रयोदशसहस्राणि वर्षाणां ते नरोत्तमाः आयुःप्रमाणं जीवन्ति वर्षे दिव्ये त्विलावृते

Those excellent men live for thirteen thousand years in the divine region of Ilāvṛta.

जंबूफलरसं पीत्वा न जरा बाधते त्विमान् न क्षुधा न क्लमश्चापि न जनो मृत्युमांस् तथा

By drinking the juice of the Jambu fruit, neither old age afflicts them, nor hunger, nor fatigue, nor do people there encounter death.

तत्र जाम्बूनदं नाम कनकं देवभूषणम् इन्द्रगोपप्रतीकाशं जायते भास्वरं तु तत्

There arises a kind of gold called Jambunada, an ornament of the gods, shining like the insect Indragopa, radiant in appearance.

एवं मया समाख्याता नववर्षानुवर्तिनः वर्णायुर्भोजनाद्यानि संक्षिप्य न तु विस्तरात्

Thus I have briefly described the colors, lifespans, foods, and other features of those who dwell in the nine regions, but not in detail.

हेमकूटे तु गन्धर्वा विज्ञेयाश्चाप्सरोगणाः सर्वे नागाश् च निषधे शेषवासुकितक्षकाः

On Hemakuta are to be known the Gandharvas and all the hosts of Apsaras, and on Nishadha, all the Nagas: Shesha, Vasuki, and Takshaka.

महाबलास् त्रयस्त्रिंशद् रमन्ते याज्ञिकाः सुराः नीले तु वैडूर्यमये सिद्धा ब्रह्मर्षयो ऽमलाः

The thirty-three powerful sacrificial gods delight there; on the blue lapis mountain dwell the perfected beings and pure Brahmarshis.

दैत्यानां दानवानां च श्वेतः पर्वत उच्यते शृङ्गवान् पर्वतश्चैव पितॄणां निलयः सदा

The white mountain is said to be the abode of the Daityas and Danavas; Shringavan mountain is always the dwelling place of the ancestors.

हिमवान् यक्षमुख्यानां भूतानाम् ईश्वरस्य च सर्वाद्रिषु महादेवो हरिणा ब्रह्मणांबया

Himavat is the domain of the chief Yakshas, spirits, and the Lord; among all mountains, Mahadeva is present with Hari, Brahma, and Ambika.

नन्दिना च गणैश्चैव वर्षेषु च वनेषु च नीलश्वेतत्रिशृङ्गे च भगवान्नीललोहितः

With Nandi, the hosts of attendants, in the regions and forests, and on the blue, white, and three-peaked mountains, the Blessed Blue-Red One abides.

सिद्धैर्देवैश् च पितृभिर् दृष्टो नित्यं विशेषतः नीलश् च वैडूर्यमयः श्वेतः शुक्लो हिरण्मयः

He is always seen by the perfected beings, gods, and ancestors, especially on the blue lapis, white, bright, and golden mountains.

मयूरबर्हवर्णस्तु शातकुंभस् त्रिशृङ्गवान् एते पर्वतराजानो जंबूद्वीपे व्यवस्थिताः

The peacock-plumed, the golden, and the three-peaked Shringavan—these mountain kings are established on Jambudvipa.

प्लक्षद्वीपादिद्वीपेषु सप्त सप्तसु पर्वताः ऋज्वायताः प्रतिदिशं निविष्टा वर्षपर्वताः

On Plaksha and the other continents, there are seven mountains on each, extending straight in every direction, known as the regional mountains.

प्लक्षद्वीपे तु वक्ष्यामि सप्त दिव्यान् महाचलान् गोमेदको ऽत्र प्रथमो द्वितीयश्चान्द्र उच्यते

On Plaksha-dvipa, I will describe the seven divine great mountains: Gomedaka is the first, and Chandra is said to be the second.

तृतीयो नारदो नाम चतुर्थो दुन्दुभिः स्मृतः पञ्चमः सोमको नाम सुमनाः षष्ठ उच्यते

The third is named Narada, the fourth is known as Dundubhi; the fifth is called Somaka, and the sixth is Sumanas.

स एव वैभवः प्रोक्तो वैभ्राजः सप्तमः स्मृतः सप्तैते गिरयः प्रोक्ताः प्लक्षद्वीपे विशेषतः

That same is called Vaibhava, and Vaibhraja is remembered as the seventh; thus these seven mountains are especially said to be on Plaksha-dvipa.

सप्त वै शाल्मलिद्वीपे तांस्तु वक्ष्याम्यनुक्रमात् कुमुदश्चोत्तमश्चैव पर्वतश् च बलाहकः

On Shalmali-dvipa also there are seven; I will recount them in order: Kumuda, Uttama, and the mountain called Balāhaka.

द्रोणः कङ्कश् च महिषः ककुद्मान् सप्तमः स्मृतः कुशद्वीपे तु सप्तैव द्वीपाश् च कुलपर्वताः

Drona, Kanka, Mahisha, and Kakudman is remembered as the seventh; on Kusha-dvipa too, there are seven principal mountains.