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.
इदं तु भारतं वर्षं ततो हैमवतं परम् । हेमकूटात्परं चैव हरिवर्षं प्रचक्षते
This is the land of Bharata, and beyond it is the Himavat region; beyond Hemakuta is called Harivarsha.
दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य निषधस्योत्तरेण च । प्रागायतो महाभागा माल्यवान्नाम पर्वतः
To the south of Nilachala and to the north of Nishadha, stretches the great mountain named Malyavat.
ततः परं माल्यवतः पर्वतो गंधमादनः । परिमंडलस्तयोर्मध्ये मेरुः कनकपर्वतः
Beyond that, the Gandhamadana mountain lies to the north of Malyavat; between these two, the circular golden mountain Meru stands.
आदित्यतरुणाभासो विधूम इव पावकः । योजनानां सहस्राणि चतुरशीतिरुच्छ्रितः
It shines with the radiance of the rising sun, like a smokeless fire, and rises to a height of eighty-four thousand yojanas.
अधस्ताच्चतुरशीतिर्योजनानां द्विजोत्तमाः । ऊर्ध्वमधश्च तिर्यक्च लोकानावृत्य तिष्ठति
O best of twice-born, it extends eighty-four thousand yojanas below as well; above, below, and across, it stands enveloping the worlds.
तस्य पार्श्वेष्वमी द्वीपाश्चत्वारः संस्थिता द्विजाः । भद्राश्वः केतुमालश्च जंबूद्वीपश्च सत्तमाः
At its sides, O Brahmins, these four excellent continents are situated: Bhadrāśva, Ketumāla, and Jambūdvīpa.
उत्तराश्चैव कुरुवः कृतपुण्य प्रतिश्रयाः । विहंगसुमुखो यस्तु सुपार्श्वस्यात्मजः किल
And to the north, the Kurus, a refuge for those who have performed meritorious deeds; Vihaṅgasumukha, said to be the son of Supārśva, is there.
स वै विचिंतयामास सौवर्णान्प्रेक्ष्य वायसान् । मेरुरुत्तममध्यानामधमानां च पक्षिणाम्
He, seeing the golden crows, began to reflect on Meru as the highest, the middle, and the lowest among birds.
अविशेषकरो यस्मात्तस्मादेनं त्यजाम्यहम् । तमादित्योनुपर्येति सततं ज्योतिषां वरः
Because it makes no distinction, therefore I abandon it; the best among lights, the Sun, always follows after it.
चंद्रमाश्च सनक्षत्रो वायुश्चैव प्रदक्षिणः । स पर्वतो महाप्राज्ञा दिव्यपुष्पसमन्वितः
The Moon with its constellations and the Wind also circle it to the right; that mountain, O wise ones, is adorned with divine flowers.