Vayu Purana

तेषां वंशप्रकूतैस्तु भुक्तेयं भारती धरा। कृतत्रेतादियुक्तानि युगाख्यान्येकसप्ततिः ।। ३३.

Through the descendants of their lineages, this Bhārata land has been enjoyed; seventy-one ages named Kṛta, Tretā, and others have passed.

येऽतीतास्तैर्युगैः सार्द्धं राजानस्ते तदन्वयाः। स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे पूर्वं शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ।। ३३.

Those kings and their descendants who have passed along with those ages, in the previous Svāyambhuva interval, numbered in the hundreds and thousands.

एष स्वायम्भुवः सर्गो येनेदं पूरितं जगत्। ऋषिभिर्दैवतैश्चापि पितृगन्धर्वराक्षसैः ।। ३३.

This is the Svāyambhuva creation, by which the world was filled—with sages, gods, ancestors, gandharvas, and rākṣasas.

यक्षभूतपिशाचैश्च मनुष्यमृगपक्षिभिः । तैषां सृष्टिरियं लोके युगैः सह विवर्त्तते ।। ३३.

With yakṣas, bhūtas, piśācas, humans, beasts, and birds; their creation in this world evolves together with the ages.

एवं प्रजासन्निवेशं श्रुत्वा च ऋषिपुङ्गवः। पप्रच्छ निपुणः सूतं पृथिव्यायाम विस्तरौ ।। ३४.

Having heard this account of the arrangement of peoples, the eminent sage skillfully questioned the Sūta about the extent and breadth of the earth.

कति द्वीपाः समुद्रा वा पर्वताश्च कति प्रभोः। कियन्ति चैव वर्षाणि तेषु नद्यश्च काः स्मृताः ।। ३४.

How many continents and oceans are there, and how many mountains, O lord? How many regions are there, and which rivers are remembered in them?

महाभूतप्रमाणञ्च लोका लोकौ तथैव च। पर्यायपारिमाण्यञ्च गतिश्चन्द्रार्कयोस्तथा। एतत् प्रब्रूहि नः सर्वं विस्तरेण यथा तथा ।। ३४.

What is the measure of the great elements, and of the worlds and Lokāloka? What are their alternate extents, and what is the course of the moon and sun? Tell us all this in detail, just as it is.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि पृथिव्यायामविस्तरम्। सङ्ख्याश्चैव समुद्राणां द्वीपानाञ्चैव विस्तरम् ।। ३४.

Now I shall declare the breadth of the earth, and also the number of oceans and the extent of the continents.

यावन्ति चैव वर्षाणि तेषु नद्यश्च याः स्मृताः। महाभूतप्रमाणञ्च लोकालोकौ तथैव च। पर्यायपारिमाण्यञ्च गतिश्चन्द्रार्कयोस्तथा ।। ३४.

How many regions there are, and which rivers are remembered in them; the measure of the great elements, and of the worlds and Lokāloka; their alternate extents, and the course of the moon and sun.

द्वीपभेदसहस्राणि सप्तस्वन्तर्गतानि वै। न शक्यन्ते प्रमाणेन वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि ।। ३४.

The thousands of divisions within the seven continents cannot be described even in hundreds of years.

सप्तद्वीपन्तु वक्ष्यामि चन्द्रादित्यग्रहैः सह। येषां मनुष्यास्तर्केण प्रमाणानि प्रचक्षते ।। ३४.

I shall describe the seven continents along with the moon, sun, and planets, whose measures are determined by humans through reasoning.

अचिन्त्याः खलु ये भावा न तांस्तर्केण भावयेत्। प्रकृतिभ्यः परं यच्च तन्नित्यञ्च प्रजक्ष्यते ।। ३४.

Indeed, those things which are inconceivable should not be considered by reasoning; what is beyond the elements and eternal will be declared.

नववर्षं प्रवक्ष्यामि जम्बूद्वीपं यथा तथा । विस्तरान्मण्डलाच्चैव योजनैस्तन्निबोधत ।। ३४.

I shall describe the nine regions of Jambūdvīpa in detail, along with their extent and circumference measured in yojanas; listen to this.

शतमेकं सहस्राणां योजनानां प्रमाणतः। नानाजनपदाकीर्णैः पुरैश्च विविधैः शुभैः ।। ३४.

The measure is one hundred thousand yojanas, adorned with various peoples and splendid cities.

सिद्धचारणगन्धर्वपर्वतैरुपशोभितम्। सर्वधातुनिबद्धैश्च शिलाजालसमुद्भवैः । पर्वतप्रभवाभिश्च नदीभिः पर्वतैस्तथा ।। ३४.

It is beautified by Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Gandharvas, and mountains, by rocks composed of all minerals, and by rivers originating from mountains.

जम्बूद्वीपः पृथुः श्रीमान् सर्व्वतः परिवारितः। नवभिश्चावृतः सर्व्वैर्भुवनैर्भूतभावनैः। लावणेन समुद्रेण सर्व्वतः परिवारितः ।। ३४.

Jambudvīpa is vast and splendid, surrounded on all sides; it is encircled by nine regions, the abodes of all beings, and on every side by the salt ocean.

जम्बूद्वीपस्य विस्तारात् समेन तु समन्ततः। जम्बूद्वीपस्य विस्तारात् समेन तु समन्ततः। प्रागायताः सुपर्वाणः षडिमे वर्षपर्व्वताः। अवगाढा उभयतः समुद्रौ पूर्वपश्विमौ ।। ३४.

From the breadth of Jambudvīpa, equally on all sides, six great mountain ranges extend eastward; they are broad and massive, and on both the eastern and western sides are deeply immersed in the ocean.

हिमप्रायश्च हिमवान् हेमकूटश्च हेमवान्। तरुणादित्यवर्णाभो हैरण्यो निषधः स्मृतः ।। ३४.

The Himavat is mostly snowy, and Hemakūṭa is golden; Niṣadha, said to be golden, shines with the hue of the rising sun.

चातुर्वर्णस्तु सौवर्णो मेरुश्चोच्यतमः स्मृतः। प्लुताकृतिप्रमाणश्च चतुरस्रः समुच्छ्रितः ।। ३४.

Meru, renowned as the golden mountain, is said to be of four colors; it is vast in form, square in shape, and rises high.

नानावर्णस्तु पार्श्वेषु प्रजापतिगुणान्वितः। नाभिवन्धनसम्भूतो ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः ।। ३४.

It is of many colors on its sides, endowed with the qualities of Prajāpati; it arises from the navel-bond of Brahmā, whose birth is unmanifest.

पूर्व्वतः श्वेतवर्णोऽसौ ब्रह्मण्यस्तस्य तेन तत्। पीतश्च दक्षिणेनासौ तेन वैश्यत्वमिष्यते ।। ३४.

On the eastern side, it is white in color, and thus considered brāhmaṇa; on the southern side, it is yellow, and so is regarded as vaiśya.

भृङ्गपत्रनिभश्वासौ पक्ष्विमेन महाबलः। तेनास्य शूद्रता दृष्टा मेरोर्नानार्थकारणात् ।। ३४.

On the western side, it is dark like the wing of a bee, and thus is seen as śūdra, for various reasons concerning Meru.

पार्श्वमुत्तरतस्तस्य रक्तवर्णं स्वभावतः। तेनास्य क्षत्रता चस्यादिति वर्णाः प्रकीर्तिताः। व्यक्तः स्वभावतः प्रोक्तो वर्णतः परिमाणतः ।। ३४.

On its northern side, it is naturally red in color, and so is considered kṣatriya; thus the colors have been described, both as they appear and by their measure.

नीलश्च वैढूर्य्यमयः श्वेतश्रृङ्गो हिरण्मयः। मयूरबर्हवर्णस्तु शातकौम्भस्तु श्रृङ्गवान् ।। ३४.

Nīla is made of beryl, with white peaks and golden; Śveta is colored like a peacock's tail, and Śṛṅgavān is of golden hue.

एते पर्व्वतराजानः सिद्धचारणसेविताः। तेषामन्तरविष्कम्भो नवसाहस्र उच्यते ।। ३४.

These mountain kings are frequented by siddhas and cāraṇas; the distance between each is said to be nine thousand (yojanas).

मध्ये त्विलावृतं यस्तु महामेरोः समन्ततः। नवैव तु सहस्राणि विस्तीर्णः पर्व्वतस्तु सः। मध्ये तस्य महामेरोर्निर्धूम इव पावकः ।। ३४.

In the middle, surrounding great Meru on all sides, is Ilāvṛta; that mountain is nine thousand (yojanas) wide, and in its center, Meru blazes like a smokeless fire.

वेद्यर्द्धं दक्षिणं मेरोरुत्तरार्द्धं तथोत्तरम्। वर्षाणि यानि सप्तात्र तेषां ये वर्षपर्व्वताः। द्वे द्वे सहस्रे विस्तीर्णा योजनानि समुच्छ्रयात् ।। ३४.

The southern half of Meru is called Vedya, and the northern half is likewise so; the seven regions here, with their mountain ranges, each extend two thousand yojanas in width and height.

जम्बूद्वीपस्य विस्तारात्तेषामायाम उच्यते। योजनानां सहस्राणि शते द्वे मध्यमौ गिरी ।। ३४.

From the breadth of Jambudvīpa, their length is stated; two hundred thousand yojanas is the measure of the two central mountains.

नीलश्च निषधश्चैव ताभ्यां हीनास्तु येऽपरे। श्वेतश्च हेमकूटश्च हिमवान् श्रृङ्गवांश्च यः ।। ३४.

Nīla and Niṣadha are the two central mountains; those that are less than these are Śveta, Hemakūṭa, Himavat, and Śṛṅgavān.