Vayu Purana

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.

परिमण्डलयोर्मध्ये मेरुरुत्तमपर्वतः । चतुर्वर्णः सुसौवर्णश्चतुरस्रः समुच्छ्रितः। अव्यक्ता धातवः सर्व्वे समुत्पन्ना जलादयः ।। ३४.

Between the two circles stands Meru, the supreme mountain, four-colored, splendidly golden, four-sided, and lofty; from it arise all the subtle elements, including water and others.

अव्यक्तात् पृथिवी पद्मं मेरुपर्वतकर्णिकम्। चतुष्पथं समुत्पन्नं व्यक्तं पञ्चगुणं महत् ।। ३४.

From the unmanifest arose the earth, like a lotus, with Meru as its pericarp; from it emerged the fourfold path, manifest, great, and endowed with five qualities.

ततः सर्व्वाः समुत्पन्ना वृत्तयो द्विजसत्तमाः। नैककल्पार्जितैः पुण्यौर्वे विधैः प्रागुपार्जितैः ।। ३४.

From that, O best of twice-born, all the cycles of creation arose, through various acts of merit accumulated in countless ages past.

कृतात्मभिर्विनीतात्मा महात्मा पुरुषोत्तमः। महादेवो महायोगी जगज्ज्येष्ठो महेश्वरः । सर्वलोकगतोऽनन्तो ह्यमूर्तित्वादजायत ।। ३४.

By those whose selves were perfected and disciplined, the great soul, the supreme person, the great god, the supreme yogi, the eldest of the world, the great lord, the all-pervading, the infinite, was born, formless.

न तस्य प्राकृती मूर्त्तिर्मांसमेदोऽस्थिसम्भवा । योगाच्चैवेश्वरत्वाच्च सर्व्वात्मागत एव सः ।। ३४.

He does not have a material form made of flesh, fat, or bone; by yoga and lordship, he is present in all beings.

तन्निमित्तं समुत्पन्नं लोकपद्मं सनातनम्। कल्पशेषस्य तस्यादौ कालस्य गतिरीदृशी ।। ३४.

For his purpose, the eternal world-lotus arose; at the beginning of the remainder of the kalpa, such is the course of time.

तस्मिन् पद्मे समुत्पन्नो देवदेवश्चतुर्मुखः। प्रजापतिपतिर्ब्रह्मा ईशानो जगतः प्रभुः ।। ३४.

On that lotus was born the god of gods, four-faced, Brahmā, lord of progenitors, ruler, and master of the world.

तस्य बीजानि सर्गो हि पुष्करस्य यथार्थवत्। कृत्स्नः प्रजानिसर्गेण विस्तरेणेह कथ्यते ।। ३४.

His seeds are the creation, just as the lotus's are; the entire creation of beings is described here in detail.

यदब्जं वैष्णवं कार्य्यं ततस्तन्नाभितोऽभवत्। पद्माकारा समुत्पन्ना पृथिवी सवनद्रुमा ।। ३४.

That lotus, the work of Viṣṇu, arose from his navel; from it, the earth appeared in the form of a lotus, with forests and trees.

तदस्य लोकपद्मस्य विस्तरेण प्रकाशितम्। वर्णमानं विभागेन क्रमशः श्रृणुत द्विजाः ।। ३४.

Thus the extent of this world-lotus has been described; now, O twice-born, listen in order to its divisions and measures.