Vayu Purana

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.

नवतिर्द्वीवशीतिर्द्वौ सहस्राण्यायतास्तु ये । तेषां मध्ये जनपदास्तानि वर्षाणि सप्त वै ।। ३४.

Those whose length is ninety-two thousand yojanas, among them are the inhabited lands, which are the seven regions.

सम्पातविषमैस्तैस्तु पर्व्वतैरावृतानि च। सन्ततानि नदीभेदैरगम्यानि परस्परम्। वसन्ति तेषु सत्वानि नाना जातीनि भागशः ।। ३४.

These are surrounded by mountains, uneven and intersecting; divided by continuous rivers, they are inaccessible to each other; in them dwell beings of various kinds, each in their own portion.

इदं हैमवतं वर्षं भारतं नाम विश्रुतम्। हेमकूटं परं तस्मान्नाम्ना किम्पुरुषं स्मृतम् ।। ३४.

This region of Himavat is renowned as Bhārata; beyond Hemakūṭa is the region called Kimpuruṣa.

नैषधं हेमकूटन्तु हरिवर्षं तदुच्यते। हरिवर्षात्परञ्चैव मेरोश्च तदिलावृतम् ।। ३४.

Between Niṣadha and Hemakūṭa is the region called Harivarṣa; beyond Harivarṣa and Meru is Ilāvṛta.

इलावृतपरं नीलं रम्यकं नाम विश्रुतम्। रम्यात्परतरं श्वेतं विश्रुतन्तद्धिरण्मयम्। हिरण्मयात्परञ्चापि श्रृङ्गवांस्तु कुरुस्मृतम् ।। ३४.

Beyond Ilāvṛta lies Nīla, then comes the renowned Ramyaka; superior to Ramyaka is the celebrated Śveta, and beyond Śveta is Hiraṇmaya; surpassing Hiraṇmaya is the mountain called Śṛṅgavān, remembered as Kuru.

धनुःसंस्थे च विज्ञेये द्वे वर्षे दक्षिणोत्तरे। दीर्घाणि तत्र चत्वारि मध्यमन्तदिलावृतम् ।। ३४.

In the form of a bow, two regions are to be understood: southern and northern; there, four long lands are found, with Ilāvṛta in the middle.

अर्वाक् च निषधस्याथ वेद्यर्द्धं दक्षिणं स्मृतम्। परं नीलवतो यच्च वेद्यर्द्धन्तु तदुत्तरम्। वेद्यर्द्धं दक्षिणे त्रीणि वर्षाणि त्रीणि चोत्तरे ।। ३४.

On this side of Niṣadha, half the altar is considered southern; beyond Nīla, half the altar is northern; on the southern side, there are three regions, and three also on the northern side.

तयोर्मध्ये तु विज्ञेयं मेरुमध्यमिलावृतम्। दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य निषधस्योत्तरेण तु ।। ३४.

Between these two, know that the central Ilāvṛta is at the heart of Meru, south of Nīla and north of Niṣadha.

उदगायतो महाशैलो माल्यवान् नाम पर्व्वतः। योजनानां सहस्रोरुरानीलनिषधायतः। आयामतश्वतुस्त्रिशत्सहस्राणि प्रकीर्तितः ।। ३४.

To the north rises the great mountain called Mālyavān, a mighty range stretching a thousand yojanas from Nīla to Niṣadha, with a length said to be thirty thousand yojanas.

तस्य प्रतीच्यां विज्ञेयः पर्वतो गन्धमादनः। आयामादथ विस्तारान् माल्यवानिति विश्रुतः ।। ३४.

To its west is the mountain known as Gandhamādana; in both length and breadth, Mālyavān is renowned.