उत्तराश्चैव कुरुवः कृतपुण्य प्रतिश्रयाः । विहंगसुमुखो यस्तु सुपार्श्वस्यात्मजः किल
and also the northern Kurus, a refuge for those who have performed good deeds; Vihaṃgasumukha, who is said to be the son of Supārśva,
स वै विचिंतयामास सौवर्णान्प्रेक्ष्य वायसान् । मेरुरुत्तममध्यानामधमानां च पक्षिणाम्
he indeed reflected, seeing the golden crows; Meru is the highest, the middle, and the lowest among birds.
अविशेषकरो यस्मात्तस्मादेनं त्यजाम्यहम् । तमादित्योनुपर्येति सततं ज्योतिषां वरः
Because he makes no distinction, therefore I abandon him; the best of lights, the Sun, always follows after him.
चंद्रमाश्च सनक्षत्रो वायुश्चैव प्रदक्षिणः । स पर्वतो महाप्राज्ञा दिव्यपुष्पसमन्वितः
The Moon with its constellations, and the Wind, too, circle around that great mountain, adorned with divine flowers, O wise one.
भवनैरावृतैः सर्वैः र्जांबूनदमयैः शुभैः । तत्र देवगणा विप्रा गंधर्वासुरराक्षसाः
All its splendid palaces are encircled with pure Jambū gold; there, O brāhmaṇas, are hosts of gods, gandharvas, asuras, and rākṣasas.
अप्सरोगणसंयुक्ताः शैले क्रीडंति सर्वदा । तत्र ब्रह्मा च रुद्रश्च शक्रश्चापि सुरेश्वरः
There, always joined by groups of apsarases, they sport upon the mountain; and there, too, are Brahmā, Rudra, and Śakra, lord of the gods.
समेत्य विविधैर्यज्ञैर्यजंतेऽनेक दक्षिणैः । तुंबुरुर्नारदश्चैव विश्वावसुर्हाहा हूहूः
Gathering together, they perform various sacrifices with many gifts; Tumburu, Nārada, Viśvāvasu, Hāhā, and Hūhū are there.
अभिगम्यामरश्रेष्ठं स्तुवंति विविधैः स्तवैः । सप्तर्षयो महात्मानः कश्यपश्च प्रजापतिः
Approaching the best of immortals, they praise him with various hymns; the great-souled Seven Sages and Kaśyapa, the lord of creatures, are there.
तत्र गच्छंति भद्रं वः सदा पर्वणि पर्वणि । तस्यैव मूर्द्धन्युशना काव्यो दैत्यैर्महीयते
They go there, blessings upon you, always at every festival; on its very summit, Uśanas Kāvya is honored by the Daityas.
तस्य हैमानि रत्नानि तस्यैते रत्नपर्वताः । तस्मात्कुबेरो भगवांश्चतुर्थं भागमश्नुते
Its jewels are golden, and those are the jewel-mountains; from there, the blessed Kubera enjoys a fourth share.
ततः कलांशं वित्तस्य मनुष्येभ्यः प्रयच्छति । पर्वतस्यांतरे दिव्यं सर्वर्तुकुसुमैश्चितम्
From there, he gives a portion of wealth to humans; within the mountain is a divine grove adorned with flowers of all seasons.
कर्णिकारवनं रम्यं शिलाजालसमुच्छ्रितम् । तत्र साक्षात्पशुपतिर्दिव्यभूतैः समावृतः
There is a delightful grove of karṇikāra trees, rising with rocky crags; there, Lord Paśupati himself delights, surrounded by divine beings.
उमासहायोभगवान्रमते भूतभावनः । कर्णिकारमयीं मालां बिभ्रदापादलंबिनीम्
The blessed Lord, creator of beings, enjoys there with Umā as his companion, wearing a garland of karṇikāra flowers that hangs down to his feet.
त्रिभिर्नेत्रैः कृतोद्द्योतस्त्रिभिः सूर्यैरिवोदितैः । तमुग्रतपसः सिद्धाः सुव्रताः सत्यवादिनः
With three eyes shining like three rising suns, those of fierce austerity, of good vows, and truth-speaking, behold him.
पश्यंति नहि दुर्वृत्तैः शक्यो द्रष्टुं महेश्वरः । तस्य शैलस्य शिखरात्क्षीरधारा द्विजोत्तमाः
But the great Lord cannot be seen by the wicked; from the summit of that mountain, O best of brāhmaṇas, streams of milk flow.
विश्वरूपात्परमिता भीमनिर्घातनिस्वना । पुण्यापुण्यतमैर्जुष्टा गंगा भागीरथी शुभा
Of immeasurable form, with a terrifying thunderous roar, the auspicious Gaṅgā, Bhāgīrathī, filled with the most sacred merits, is there.
प्लवंती च प्रवेगेन ह्रदे चंद्रमसः शुभे । तया ह्युत्पादितः पुण्यः स ह्रदः सागरोपमः
She rushes swiftly, flowing into the beautiful lake of the Moon; by her, that holy lake, vast as the ocean, was produced.
तां धारयामास तदा दुर्द्धरां पर्वतैरपि । शतं वर्षसहस्राणि शिरसैव पिनाकधृक्
Then, even the mountains could hardly bear her, but Pinākadhṛk bore her on his head for a hundred thousand years.
मेरोस्तु पश्चिमे पार्श्वे केतुमालो द्विजोत्तमाः । जंबूखंडे तु तत्रैव महाजनपदो द्विजाः
On the western side of Meru, O best of brāhmaṇas, is Ketumāla; there, in the Jambū region, is a great country, O twice-born.
आयुर्दशसहस्राणि वर्षाणां तत्र सत्तमाः । सुवर्णवर्णाश्च नरा स्त्रियश्चाप्सरसां समाः
There, O excellent ones, the lifespan is ten thousand years; the men are golden-hued, and the women are like apsarases.
अनामया वीतशोका नित्यं मुदितमानसाः । जायंते मानवास्तत्र निस्तप्तकनकप्रभाः
There, humans are born free from illness and sorrow, their minds always joyful, and their bodies shine with the radiance of untarnished gold.
गंधमादनशृंगेषु कुबेरः सह राक्षसैः । संवृतोप्सरसां संघैर्मोदते गुह्यकाधिपः
On the peaks of Gandhamadana, Kubera, together with the rakshasas and surrounded by hosts of apsarases, delights as the lord of the guhyakas.
गंधमादनपार्श्वे तु परे विगतपातकाः । एकादशसहस्राणि वर्षाणां परमायुषः
Beside Gandhamadana dwell others, free from sin, who possess a supreme lifespan of eleven thousand years.
तत्र कृष्णा नरा विप्रास्तेजोयुक्ता महाबलाः । स्त्रियश्चोत्पलपत्राभाः सर्वाः सुप्रियदर्शनाः
There, the men are dark, brahmins endowed with energy and great strength, and the women, all of pleasing appearance, have the radiance of blue lotus petals.
नीलोत्पलधरं श्वेतं श्वेताद्धैरण्यकं वरम् । वर्षमैरावतं विप्रा नानाजनपदावृतम्
The region called Nilotpala is white, superior to Shvetadvipa and Hiranyaka, and the land of Airavata, O brahmins, is inhabited by many peoples.
धनुखंडेः महाभागा द्वे वर्षे दक्षिणोत्तरे । इलावृत्तं मध्यगं तु पंचवर्षाणि चैव हि
On the Dhanukhandha, there are two blessed regions, southern and northern; in the middle lies Ilavrita, and there are five regions in total.
उत्तरोत्तरमेतेभ्यो वर्षमुद्रिच्यते गुणैः । आयुः प्रमाणमारोग्यं धर्मतः कामतोऽर्थतः
Each successive region to the north surpasses the previous in qualities—lifespan, stature, health, righteousness, desire, and wealth.
समन्वितानि भूतानि तेषु सर्वेषु सत्तमाः । एवमेषा महाभागाः पर्वतैः पृथिवी चिता
All beings in those regions are endowed with these qualities, O noble one; thus is this blessed earth adorned with mountains.
हेमकूटस्तु सुमहान्कैलासो नाम पर्वतः । तत्र वैश्रवणो देवो गुह्यकैः सह मोदते
Hemakuta is a great mountain, also called Kailasa; there, the god Vaishravana delights together with the guhyakas.
अस्त्युत्तरेण कैलासं मैनाकं पर्वतं प्रति । हिरण्यशृंगः सुमहान्दिव्यो मणिमयो गिरिः
To the north of Kailasa, near Mount Mainaka, stands the great and divine mountain Hiranyashringa, made of jewels.