Vayu Purana

एवं तास्तु महानद्यश्चतस्रो विमलोदकाः। महागिरितटभ्रष्टाः संप्रयाताश्चतुर्दिशम् ।। ४२.

Thus, those four great rivers, with pure waters, fallen from the slopes of great mountains, flowed in the four directions.

तत्सेयं कथितप्राया पृथिवी बहुविस्तरा। मेरुशैलमहाकीर्णाऽविशच्च सर्वतोदिशम् ।। ४२.

Thus, this earth, mostly described, is vast, filled with the great Meru mountain, and extends in all directions.

चतुर्महाद्वीपवती चतुराक्रीडकानना। चतुष्केतुमहावृक्षा चतुर्वरसरस्वती ।। ४२.

It possesses four great continents, four delightful forests, four prominent trees, and four Sarasvati rivers.

चतुर्महाशैलवती चतुर्भुजगसंश्रया। अष्टोत्तरमहाशैला तथाष्टवरपर्वता ।। ४२.

It has four great mountains, four abodes of serpents, one hundred and eight great mountains, and eight excellent ranges.

गन्धमादनपार्श्वे तु स्फीता चोपरि गण्डिका। द्वात्रिंशतं सहस्राणि योजनैः पूर्वपश्चिमा ।। ४३.

Beside Gandhamadana, above, lies Gaṇḍikā, flourishing, stretching thirty-two thousand yojanas east to west.

अस्यायामशचवतुस्त्रिंशत्सहस्राणि प्रमाणतः। तत्र ते शुभकर्माणः केतुमालाः परिश्रुताः ।। ४३.

Its length is also thirty-two thousand yojanas; there, the Ketumālās, renowned for their virtuous deeds, reside.

तत्र काला नराः सर्वे महासत्त्वा महाबलाः। स्त्रियश्चोत्पलपत्राभाः सर्वास्ताः प्रिय दर्शनाः ।। ४३.

There, all the people are mighty and powerful; the women resemble lotus petals, all are pleasant to behold.

तत्र दिव्यो महावृक्षः पनसः षड्रसाश्रयः। ईश्वरो ब्रह्मणः पुत्रः कामचारी मनोजवः। तस्य पीत्वा फलरसं जीवन्ति हि समायुतम् ।। ४३.

There stands a divine, great tree, the jackfruit, bearing six tastes; its lord is the son of Brahma, moving at will, swift as thought; by drinking its fruit juice, they live for a full age.

पार्श्वे माल्यवतश्चापि पूर्वे पुर्वा तु गण्डिका। आयामतोऽथ विस्ताराद्यथैवापरगण्डिका ।। ४३.

Beside Mālyavat, in the east, lies the eastern Gaṇḍikā, with the same length and breadth as the western Gaṇḍikā.

भद्राश्वास्तत्र विज्ञेया नित्यं मुदितमानसा। भद्रं सालवनं तत्र कालाम्राश्च महाद्रुमाः ।। ४३.

There, the Bhadrāśvas are to be known, always joyful in mind; there is the auspicious grove of sāla trees and great kālāmra trees.

तत्र ते पुरुषाः श्वेता महासत्त्वा महाबलाः। स्त्रियः कुमुदवर्णाभाः सुन्दर्य्यः प्रियदर्शनाः ।। ४३.

There, the men are white, mighty and powerful; the women are like the color of kumuda flowers, beautiful and pleasant to behold.

चन्द्रप्रभाश्वन्द्रवर्णाः पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाः। चन्द्रशीतलगात्राश्च स्त्रियश्चोत्पलगन्धिकाः ।। ४३.

They shine with the radiance of the moon, their faces resemble the full moon; their bodies are cool as moonlight, and the women are fragrant like lotuses.

दशवर्षसहस्राणि तेषामायुर्निरामयम्। कालाम्रस्य रसं पीत्वा सर्वदा सिथरयौवनाः ।। ४३.

Their lifespan is ten thousand years, free from disease; by drinking the juice of kālāmra, they always remain in youthful vigor.

प्रमाणं वर्णमायुश्च याथातथ्येन कीर्तितम्। चतुर्णामपि द्वीपानां समासान्न तु विस्तरात् ।। ४३.

The measure, color, and lifespan have been described truthfully, in summary, for the four continents, not in detail.

भद्राश्वानां यथा चिह्नं कीर्तितं कीर्तिवर्द्धनाः। तच्छृणुध्वं तु कार्त्स्न्येन पूर्वसिद्धैरुदाहृतम् ।। ४३.

As the mark of the Bhadrāśvas has been recounted, O increasers of fame, listen fully to what has been declared by the ancient sages.

देवकूटस्य सर्वस्य प्रथितस्येह यत्परम्। पूर्वेण दिक्षु सर्वासु यथावच्च प्रकीर्तितम् ।। ४३.

The entirety of Devakūṭa, renowned here as the highest, has been described in detail in all the eastern directions, just as it is known.

कुलाचलानां पञ्चानां नदीनाञ्च विशेषतः। तथा जनपदानाञ्च यथा दृष्टं यथाश्रुतम् ।। ४३.

So too, the five Kulācalas, the rivers especially, and likewise the regions of people, have been recounted as seen and as heard.

शैवालो वर्णमालाग्रः कोरञ्जश्चाचलोत्तमः। श्वेतवर्णश्च नीलश्च पञ्चैते कुलपर्वताः ।। ४३.

Śaivāla, Varṇamālāgra, Korañja, Śveta, and Nīla—these five are the principal Kulaparvatas (ancestral mountains).

तेषां प्रसूतिरन्येपि पर्वता बहुविस्तराः। कोटिकोटिः क्षितौ ज्ञेयाः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ।। ४३.

From them are born many other mountains, vast in extent; they are to be known as numbering in the tens of millions, by the hundreds and by the thousands, upon the earth.

तैर्विमिश्रा जनपदैर्नानासत्त्वसमाकुलाः। नानाप्रकारजातीयास्त्वनेकनृपपालिताः ।। ४३.

Intermixed with these are regions filled with various beings, of many kinds and races, ruled by numerous kings.

नामधेयैश्च निक्रान्तैः श्रीमद्भिः पुरुषर्षभैः। अध्यासिता जनपदाः कीर्तनीयाश्च शोभिताः ।। ४३.

These regions, inhabited and adorned by illustrious men whose renowned names have spread, are worthy of being praised.

तेषान्तु नामधेयानि राष्ट्राणि विविधानि च। गिर्यन्तरनिविष्टानि समेषु विषमेषु च ।। ४३.

Their names, and the various kingdoms as well, are situated among the mountains, both on level ground and in rugged places.

तथा सुमङ्गलाः शुद्धाश्चन्द्रकान्ताः सुनन्दनाः। व्रजका नीलशैलेयाः सौवीरा विजयस्थलाः ।। ४३.

Thus, there are the Sumaṅgalas, the pure Śuddhas, the Moon-stone-like Candrakāntas, the joyful Sunandanas, the Vrajakas, the Nīla mountain dwellers, the Sauvīras, and the victorious Vijayasthalas.

महास्थलाः सुकामाश्च महाकेशाः सुमूर्द्धजाः। वातरंहाः सोपसङ्गाः परिवायाः पराचकाः ।। ४३.

There are the Mahāsthalas, the contented Sukāmas, the great-haired Mahākeśas, the well-tressed Sumūrddhajas, the swift Vātaraṃhās with their branches, the Parivāyas, and the Parācakas.

सम्भवक्रा महानेत्राः शैवालास्तनपास्तथा। कुमुदाः शाकमुण्डाश्च उरः सङ्कीर्णभौमकाः ।। ४३.

There are the Sambhavakras, the great-eyed Mahānetras, the Śaivālas, the Tanapās, the Kumudas, the Śākamuṇḍas, and those whose land is mingled at the breast.

सोदका वत्सकाश्चैके वाराहा हारवामकाः। शङ्खाख्या भाविसन्द्राश्च उत्तरा हैमभौमकाः ।। ४३.

Some are Sodakas and Vatsakas, others are Vārāhas and Hāravāmakas, the Śaṅkhas by name, the Bhāvisandras, and the northern Haimabhaumakas.

कृष्णभौमाः सुभौमाश्च महाभौमाश्च कीर्तिताः। एते चान्ये च विख्याता नानाजनपदा मया ।। ४३.

The Kṛṣṇabhaumas, Subhaumas, and Mahābhaumas are also named; these and others, various peoples, have been described by me.

ते पिबन्ति महापुण्यां महागङ्गां महानदीम्। आदौ त्रैलोक्यविख्याता शीता शीताम्बुवाहिनी ।। ४३.

They drink the supremely holy, great Gaṅgā, the great river—at first famed throughout the three worlds, cold, and bearing cool waters.

तथा च हंसवसतिर्महाचक्रा च निम्नगा। चक्रा वक्रा च कञ्ची च सुरसा चापगोत्तमा ।। ४३.

Likewise, Haṃsavasatī, Mahācakrā, Nimnagā, Cakrā, Vakrā, Kañcī, and Surasā, the best of rivers.