Varaha Purana

महाभद्रस्य सरस उत्तरेण द्विजोत्तमाः । ये पर्वताः स्थिता विप्रास्तान् वक्ष्यामि निबोधत ।। ७८.

To the north of Lake Mahabhadra, O best of twice-born, hear of the mountains situated there, O sages.

हंसकूटो महाशैलो वृषहंसश्च पर्वतः । कपिञ्जलश्च शैलेन्द्र इन्द्रशैलश्च सानुमान् ।। ७८.

Hamsakuta, the great mountain, Vrishahamsa, Kapinjala, Shailendra, and Indrashaila with its ridges are named.

नीलः कनकश्रृङ्गश्च शतश्रृङ्गश्च पर्वतः । पुष्करो मेघशैलोऽथ विरजाश्चाचलोत्तमः । जारुचिश्चैव शैलेन्द्र इत्येते उत्तराः स्मृताः ।। ७८.

Nila, Kanakashringa, Shatashringa, Pushkara, Meghashaila, Viraja, Jaruchi, and Shailendra—these are remembered as the northern ones.

इत्येतेषां तु मुख्यानामुत्तरेषु यथाक्रमम् । स्थलीरन्तरद्रोण्यश्च सरांसि च निबोधत ।। ७८.

Thus, among the chief ones in the north, listen in order to the plains, inner valleys, and lakes.

रुद्र उवाच । सीतान्तस्याचलेन्द्रस्य कुमुदस्यान्तरेण च । द्रोण्यां विहङ्गपुष्टायां नानासत्त्वनिषेवितम् ।। ७९.

Rudra said: Between the borders of the great mountain and Kumuda, in the valley nourished by birds, inhabited by various creatures.

त्रियोजनशतायामं शतयोजनविस्तृतम् । सुरसामलपानीयं रम्यं तत्र सुरोचनम् ।। ७९.

There is a splendid lake there, three hundred yojanas long and one hundred yojanas wide, with divine, clear water, delightful to behold.

द्रोणमात्रप्रमाणैश्च पुण्डरीकैः सुगन्धिभिः । सहस्त्रशतपत्रैश्च महापद्मैरलङ्कृतम् ।। ७९.

It is adorned with fragrant lotuses the size of a droṇa, and with great lotuses bearing a thousand hundred petals.

देवदानवगन्धर्वैर्महासर्पैरधिष्ठितम् । पुण्यं तच्छ्रीसरो नाम सप्रकाशमिहेह च ।। ७९.

That sacred lake, known as Śrīsaras, is luminous here and there, inhabited by gods, dānavas, gandharvas, and mighty serpents.

प्रसन्नसलिलैः पूर्णं शरण्यं सर्वदेहिनाम् । तत्र त्वेकं महापद्मं मध्ये पद्मवनस्य च ।। ७९.

Filled with clear waters, it is a refuge for all beings; in the midst of the lotus forest there, a single great lotus stands.

कोटिपत्रप्रकलितं तरुणादित्यवर्चसम् । नित्यं व्याकोशमधुरं चलत्वादतिमण्डलम् ।। ७९.

Its countless petals shine with the radiance of the rising sun, always sweetly blossoming, gently moving in a perfect circle.

चारुकेसरजालाढ्यं मत्तभ्रमरनादितम् । तस्मिन् मध्ये भगवती साक्षात् श्रीर्नित्यमेव हि । लक्ष्मीस्तु तं तदावासं मूर्त्तिमन्तं न संशयः ।। ७९.

Rich with beautiful clusters of stamens, resounding with the hum of intoxicated bees, in its center dwells the goddess herself, Śrī, ever-present; truly, Lakṣmī abides there in embodied form, without doubt.

सरसस्तस्य तीरे तु तस्मिन् सिद्धनिषेवितम् । सदा पुष्पफलं रम्यं तत्र बिल्ववनं महत् ।। ७९.

On the shore of that lake, ever attended by siddhas, stands a great and lovely grove of bilva trees, always bearing flowers and fruit.

शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं द्वियोजनशतायतम् । अर्द्धक्रोशोच्चशिखरैर्महावृक्षैः समन्ततः । शाखासहस्त्रकलितैर्महास्कन्धैः समाकुलम् ।। ७९.

Spreading a hundred yojanas wide and two hundred yojanas long, with towering peaks half a krośa high, it is crowded all around with great trees, whose branches number in the thousands and whose trunks are massive.

फलैः सहस्त्रसङ्काशैः हरितैः पाण्डुरैस्तथा । अमृतस्वादुसदृशैर्भेरीमात्रैः सुगन्धिभिः ।। ७९.

Its fruits are as numerous as thousands, green and pale in color, fragrant and resembling the taste of nectar, each the size of a drum.

शीर्यद्भिश्च पतद्भिश्च कीर्णभूमिवनान्तरम् । नाम्ना तच्छ्रीवनं नाम सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुतम् ।। ७९.

With fallen and falling fruits, the ground and forest interior are strewn; that place is renowned in all the worlds as Śrīvana by name.

देवादिभिः समाकीर्णमष्टाभिः ककुभिः शुभम् । बिल्वाशिभिश्च मुनिभिः सेवितं पुण्यकारिभिः । तत्र श्रीः संस्थिता नित्यं सिद्धसङ्घनिषेविता ।। ७९.

It is filled with gods and others from all eight directions, and is served by munis who subsist on bilva fruits, doers of merit; there, Śrī is always present, attended by hosts of siddhas.

एकैकस्याचलेन्द्रस्य मणिशैलस्य चान्तरम् । शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं द्वियोजनशतायतम् ।। ७९.

Between each pair of mountain lords and jeweled peaks lies a space a hundred yojanas wide and two hundred yojanas long.

विमलं पङ्कजवनं सिद्धचारणसेवितम् । पुष्पं लक्ष्म्या धृतं भाति नित्यं प्रज्वलतीव ह ।। ७९.

There is a pure lotus grove, frequented by siddhas and cāraṇas, where a blossom held by Lakṣmī shines, as if ever blazing.

अर्द्धक्रोशं च शिखरैर्महास्कन्धैः समावृतम् । प्रफुल्लशाखाशिखरं पिञ्जरं भाति तद्वनम् ।। ७९.

That forest, encircled by great trees with massive trunks and peaks half a krośa high, shines golden with blooming branches at their summits.

द्विबाहुपरिणाहैस्तैस्त्रिहस्तायामविस्तृतैः । मनःशिलाचूर्णनिभैः पाण्डुकेसरशालिभिः ।। ७९.

With trunks as thick as two arms and branches three hastas long and wide, their pale stamens resemble powdered cinnabar.

पुष्पैर्मनोहरैर्व्याप्तं व्याकोशैर्गन्धशोभिभिः । विराजति वनं सर्वं मत्तभ्रमरनादितम् ।। ७९.

The entire forest glows, filled with enchanting flowers and fragrant, beautiful blossoms, resounding with the hum of intoxicated bees.

तद्वनं दानवैर्दैत्यैर्गन्धर्वैर्यक्षराक्षसैः । किन्नरैरप्सरोभिश्च महाभोगैश्च सेवितम् ।। ७९.

That forest is frequented by dānavas, daityas, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, kinnaras, apsarases, and great serpents.

तत्राश्रमो भगवतः कश्यपस्य प्रजापतेः । सिद्धसाधुगणाकीर्णं नानाश्रमसमाकुलम् ।। ७९.

There is the hermitage of the blessed Kaśyapa, lord of creatures, crowded with hosts of siddhas and sages, and filled with various āśramas.

महानीलस्य मध्ये तु कुम्भस्य च गिरेस्तथा । मध्ये सुखा नदी नाम तस्यास्तीरे महद्वनम् ।। ७९.

In the midst of the great Nīla mountain and the Kumbha mountain as well, there is the river named Sukhā; on its bank lies a vast forest.

पञ्चाशद्योजनायामं त्रिंशद्योजनमण्डलम् । रम्यं तालवनं श्रीमत् क्रोशार्द्धोच्छ्रितपादपम् ।। ७९.

There is a splendid palm grove, delightful and beautiful, measuring fifty yojanas in length and thirty yojanas in breadth, with trees rising to half a krośa in height.

महाबलैर्महासारैः स्थिरैरविचलैः शुभैः । महदञ्जनसंस्थानैः परिवृत्तैर्महाफलैः ।। ७९.

It is filled with mighty, strong, and unshakable trees, possessing great strength and thick trunks, resembling large sticks of collyrium, curved and bearing huge fruits.

मृष्टगन्धगुणोपेतैरुपेतं सिद्धसेवितम् । ऐरावतस्य करिणस्तत्रैव समुदाहृतम् ।। ७९.

Endowed with excellent fragrance and qualities, frequented by perfected beings, it is said that the elephant Airāvata resides there.

ऐरावतस्य रुद्रस्य देवशैलस्य चान्तरे । सहस्त्रयोजनायामा शतयोजनविस्तृता ।। ७९.

Between Airāvata, Rudra, and the divine mountain, there is a land stretching a thousand yojanas in length and a hundred yojanas in breadth.

सर्वा ह्येकशिला भूमिर्वृक्षवीरुधवर्जिता । आप्लुता पादमात्रेण सलिलेन समन्ततः ।। ७९.

The entire ground is a single slab of stone, devoid of trees and shrubs, covered everywhere by water to the depth of a foot.