स्वेदजांडमभूत्तस्य जरायुश्च महीधराः । गर्भोदकं समुद्राश्च तस्याभून्महदात्मनः
From him arose the sweat-born egg, the womb, and the great mountains; the oceans became the embryonic waters of that great soul.
साद्रिद्वीपसमुद्राश्च सज्योतिर्लोकसंग्रहः । तस्मिन्नंडेभवत्सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम्
With its mountains, islands, oceans, luminaries, and all the worlds, everything—gods, asuras, and humans—came to be within that egg.
अनादिनिधनस्यैव विष्णोर्नाभेः समुत्थितम् । यत्पद्मं तद्धैममंडमभूच्छ्रीकेशवेच्छया
From the navel of Vishnu, who is without beginning or end, arose the lotus; that golden egg came into being by the will of Shri Kesha.
रजोगुणधरो देवः स्वयमेव हरिः परः । ब्रह्मरूपंसमास्थाय जगत्स्रष्टुं प्रवर्तते
The supreme Lord Hari, endowed with the quality of rajas, himself assumes the form of Brahma and sets forth to create the world.
सृष्टं च पात्यनुयुगं यावत्कल्पविकल्पना । नारसिंहादिरूपेण रुद्ररुपेण संहरेत्
And what is created, he preserves throughout each age, until the end of a kalpa; then, taking forms such as Narasimha or Rudra, he dissolves it.
सब्रह्मरूपं विसृजन्महात्मा जगत्समस्तं परिपातुमिच्छन् । रामादिरूपं स तु गृह्य याति बभूव रुद्रो जगदेतदत्तुम्
Desiring to protect the entire world, the great soul creates it with the form of Brahma; then, assuming forms such as Rama, he becomes Rudra to consume this world.
ऋषय ऊचुः-। नदीनां पर्वतानां च नामधेयानि सर्वशः । तथा जनपदानां च ये चान्ये भूमिमाश्रिताः
The sages said: Tell us all the names of the rivers and mountains, as well as those of the peoples and all others who dwell upon the earth.
प्रमाणं च प्रमाणज्ञ पृथिव्याः किल सर्वतः । निखिलेन समाचक्ष्व काननानि च सत्तम
And, O knower of measures, tell us the full extent of the earth everywhere, and also, O best of men, the forests in their entirety.
सूत उवाच-। पंचेमानि महाप्राज्ञ महाभूतानि संग्रहात् । जगतीस्थानि सर्वाणि समान्याहुर्मनीषिणः
Suta said: O wise ones, the five great elements, in summary, are said by the thinkers to be the foundation of all things in the world.
भूमिरापस्तथा वायुरग्निराकाशमेव च । गुणोत्तराणि सर्वाणि तेषां भूमिः प्रधानतः
Earth, water, air, fire, and ether—these are all progressively subtler, but earth is considered the chief among them.
शब्दस्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गंधश्च पंचमः । भूमेरेतेगुणाः प्रोक्ता ऋषिभिस्तत्त्ववेदिभिः
Sound, touch, form, taste, and the fifth, smell—these are declared by the seers who know reality to be the qualities of earth.
चत्वारोप्सुगुणा विप्रा गंधस्तत्र न विद्यते । शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च तेजसोथ गुणास्त्रयः
O brahmins, water has four qualities, but not smell; sound, touch, and form—these three are the qualities of fire.
शब्दः स्पर्शश्च वायोस्तु आकाशे शब्द एव च । एते पंच गुणा विप्रा महाभूतेषु पंचसु
Sound and touch are the qualities of air; in ether, there is only sound. These are the five qualities, O brahmins, in the five great elements.
वर्तंते सर्वलोकेषु येषु भूताः प्रतिष्ठिताः । अन्योन्यं नातिवर्तंते साम्यं भवति वै तदा
These qualities exist in all worlds, in which beings are established; they do not surpass one another, and thus equilibrium prevails.
यदा तु विषमीभावमाविशंति परस्परम् । तदा देहैर्देहवंतो व्यतिरोहंति नान्यथा
When they enter into opposition with one another, then embodied beings pass from one body to another; not otherwise.
आनुपूर्व्या विनश्यंति जायंते चानुपूर्वशः । सर्वाण्यपरिमेयाणि तदेषां रूपमैश्वरम्
They perish and are born again in sequence; all these countless forms are their divine nature.
यत्रयत्र हि दृश्यंते धावंति पांचभौतिकाः । तेषां मनुष्यास्तर्केण प्रमाणानि प्रचक्षते
Wherever the five elements are seen to move, humans declare their measures by reasoning.
अचिंत्याः खलु ये भावास्तान्न तर्केण साधयेत् । सुदर्शनं प्रवक्ष्यामि द्वीपं तु मुनिपुंगवाः
Indeed, those states which are inconceivable cannot be established by reasoning; I will now describe the Sudarshana island, O foremost sages.
परिमंडलो महाभागा द्वीपोऽसौ चक्रसंस्थितः । नदीजलपरिच्छिन्नः पर्वतैश्चाब्धिसन्निभैः
That island is perfectly circular, O illustrious ones, arranged like a wheel, bounded by rivers and waters, and mountains resembling oceans.
पुरैश्च विविधाकारै रम्यैर्जनपदैस्तथा । वृक्षैः पुष्पफलोपेतैः संपन्नो धनधान्यवान्
It is adorned with delightful cities of various forms, with prosperous lands, trees bearing flowers and fruits, and abundant in wealth and grain.
लवणेन समुद्रेण समंतात्परिवारितः । यथा हि पुरुषः पश्येदादर्शे मुखमात्मनः
Surrounded on all sides by the salty ocean, just as a person sees his own face in a mirror.
एवं सुदर्शनो द्वीपो दृश्यते चक्रमंडलः । द्विरंशे पिप्पलस्तस्य द्विरंशे च शशो महान्
Thus, the Sudarshana island appears as a circular wheel; in one half is a pipal tree, and in the other half a great hare.
सर्वौषधिं समादाय सर्वतः परिवारितः । आपस्ततोन्या विज्ञेयाः शेषः संक्षेप उच्यते
Having gathered all medicinal plants, it is encircled on all sides; the other waters are to be understood, the rest is briefly stated.
ऋषय ऊचुः-। उक्तो यस्य च संक्षेपो बुद्धिमन्विधिवत्त्वया । तत्त्वज्ञश्चासि सर्वस्य विस्तरं सूत नो वद
The sages said: The summary has been spoken by you wisely and according to rule; you know the truth of everything, so tell us the details, Suta.
यावान्भूम्यवकाशोयं दृश्यते शशलक्षणे । तस्य प्रमाणं प्रब्रूहि ततो वक्ष्यसि पिप्पलम्
As much as the space of the earth is seen in the region marked by the hare, declare its measure, and then you will speak of the pipal tree.
एवं तैः किल पृष्टः स सूतो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् । सूत उवाच-। प्रागायता महाप्राज्ञाः षडेते रत्नपर्वताः
Thus, when questioned by them, the Suta spoke these words: Suta said: To the east stretch these six jewel mountains, O wise ones.
अवगाढा ह्युभयतः समुद्रौ पूर्वपश्चिमौ । हिमवान्हिमकूटश्च निषधश्च नगोत्तमः
Immersed on both sides by the eastern and western oceans are Himavat, Himakuta, and Nishadha, the excellent mountains.
नीलश्च वैडूर्यमयः श्वेतश्च शशिसन्निभः । सर्वधातुपिनद्धश्च शृंगवान्नामपर्वतः
And Nilachala, made of beryl, and Shveta, resembling the moon; all bound with various minerals, the mountain called Shrngavat.
एते वै पर्वता विप्राः सिद्धचारणसेविताः । तेषामंतरविष्कुंभौ योजनानि सहस्रशः
These mountains, O Brahmins, are frequented by siddhas and charanas; between them, the distances are measured in thousands of yojanas.
तत्र पुण्या जनपदास्तानि वर्षाणि सत्तमाः । वसंति तेषां सत्त्वानि नानाजातीनि सर्वशः
There are blessed regions there, those are the best lands; their beings dwell there, of all kinds and varieties.