Vayu Purana

तासान्तु नामधेयानि परिमाणं तथैव च। न शक्यं परिसंख्यातुं पुण्यास्ताः सरिदुत्तमाः। ताः पिबन्ति सदा हृष्टा नदीर्जनपदास्तु ते ।। ४९.

Their names and measurements cannot be fully counted; those sacred, excellent rivers are always drunk joyfully by the people of those lands.

शंशपायन विस्तीर्णो द्वीपोऽसौ चक्रसंस्थितः। नदीजलैः प्रतिच्छन्नः पर्वतैश्चाभ्रसन्निभैः ।। ४९.

That island, called Shamshapayāna, is vast and shaped like a wheel, covered with river waters and mountains resembling clouds.

सर्वधातुविचित्रैश्च मणि विद्रुमभूषितैः। पुरैश्च विविधाकारैः स्फीतैर्जनपदैरपि ।। ४९.

It is adorned with diverse minerals, gems, and coral, with splendid cities of various forms and prosperous regions.

वृक्षैः पुष्पफलोपेतैः समन्ताद्धनधान्यवान्। क्षीरोदेन समुद्रेण सर्वतः परिवारितः। शाकद्वीपस्तु विस्तारात् समेन तु समन्ततः ।। ४९.

Surrounded on all sides by the Milk Ocean, Shakadvipa is rich in trees bearing flowers and fruits, abundant in wealth and grain, and equal in extent on every side.

तस्मिन् जनपदाः पुण्याः पर्वतान्तरिते शुभाः । वर्णाश्रमसमाकीर्णा देशास्ते सप्त वै स्मृताः ।। ४९.

There, blessed peoples dwell in auspicious regions separated by mountains; those seven lands are known to be filled with all classes and stages of life.

न सङ्करश्च तेष्वस्ति वर्णाश्रमकृतः व्कचित् । धर्मस्य चाव्यभीचारादेकान्तसुखिताः प्रजाः ।। ४९.

Among them there is no intermixture, nor does anyone perform the duties of caste or stage of life; because of their unwavering adherence to righteousness, the people are entirely content.

न तेषु लोभो माया वा ईर्ष्यासूयाऽधृतिः कुतः। विपर्ययो न तेष्वस्ति एतत् स्वाभाविकं स्मृतम् ।। ४९.

Among them there is no greed, nor delusion, nor envy, nor jealousy, nor lack of resolve; there is no contrary behavior among them—this is considered their natural state.

करोत्पत्तिर्नतेष्वस्ति न दण्डो न च दण्डकाः। स्वधर्मेणैव धर्मज्ञास्ते रक्षन्ति परस्परम् ।। ४९.

There is no production of evil among them, nor punishment, nor punishers; knowing righteousness, they protect one another by their own proper conduct.

एतावदेव शक्यं वै तस्मिन् द्वीपे निवासिनाम्। पुष्करं सप्तमं द्वीपं प्रवक्ष्यामि निबोधत ।। ४९.

This much can be said about the inhabitants of that continent; now I will describe the seventh continent, Puṣkara—listen.

पुष्करेण तु द्वीपेन वृतः क्षीरोदको बहिः। शाकद्वीपस्य विस्ताराद्‌द्विगुणेन समन्ततः ।। ४९.

The continent of Puṣkara is surrounded on the outside by an ocean of milk, which is twice as wide in every direction as the continent of Śākadvīpa.

पुष्करे पर्वतः श्रीमान् एक एव महाशिलः। चित्रै र्मणिमयैः शीलैः शिखरैस्तु समुच्छ्रितैः ।। ४९.

On Puṣkara there is a single splendid mountain, great and made of one massive rock, with peaks adorned with various jeweled crests, rising high.

द्वीपस्य तस्य पूर्वार्द्धे चित्रसानुः स्थितो महान्। परिमण्डलसहस्राणि विस्तीर्णः पञ्चविंशतिः ।। ४९.

In the eastern half of that continent stands the great mountain Citrasānu, spreading across twenty-five thousand leagues in circumference.

ऊर्द्द्वञ्चैव चतुस्त्रिशत्सहस्राणि समाचितः। द्वीपार्द्धस्य परिस्तोमः पर्वतो मानसोत्तमः ।। ४९.

And rising upwards, it is thirty-four thousand leagues high; the supreme mountain Mānasa forms the boundary of half the continent.

स्थितो वेलासमीपे तु नवचन्द्र इवोदितः। योजनानां सहस्राणि ऊर्द्ध्वं पञ्चशदुच्छ्रितः ।। ४९.

Situated near the shore, it appears like a newly risen crescent moon, and rises fifty thousand leagues upward.

तावदेव स विस्तीर्णः सर्वतः परिमण्डलः। स एवं द्वीपपश्चार्द्धे मानसः पृथिवीधरः ।। ४९.

It is just as wide as it is tall, perfectly round on all sides; thus, in the western half of the continent is the mountain Mānasa, the supporter of the earth.

एक एव महासानुः सन्निवेशाद्द्विधा कृतः। स्वादूदकेनोदधिना सर्वतः परिवारितः ।। ४९.

There is only one great ridge, divided in its arrangement; all around it is surrounded by an ocean of fresh water.

पुष्करद्वीपविस्ताराद्विस्तीर्णोऽसौ समन्ततः। तस्मिन् द्वीपे स्मृतौ द्वौ तु पुण्यौ जनपदौ शुभौ। अभितो मानसस्याथ पर्वतस्यानुमण्डलौ ।। ४९.

Surpassing the extent of Puṣkara, it spreads all around; in that continent, two auspicious and holy regions are remembered, encircling the mountain Mānasa on both sides.

महावीतन्तु यद्वर्षं बाह्यतो मानसस्य तत्। तस्यैवाभ्यन्तरे यत्तु धातकीखण्डमुच्यते ।। ४९.

The region called Mahāvītantu lies outside Mānasa, and within it is what is known as the Dhātakīkhaṇḍa.

दशवर्षसहस्राणि तत्र जेवन्ति मानवाः। आरोग्यसुखभूयिष्ठा मानसीं सिद्धिमास्थिताः ।। ४९.

There, humans live for ten thousand years, enjoying abundant health and happiness, established in the perfection of the mind.

सममायुश्च रूपञ्च तस्मिन् वर्षद्वये स्थितम्। अधमोत्तमौ न तेष्वास्तां तुल्यास्ते रूपशीलतः ।। ४९.

In those two regions, lifespan and appearance are equal; among them there are no inferiors or superiors—they are alike in form and character.

न तत्र वञ्चको नेर्ष्या न स्तेना न भयं तथा। निग्रहो न च दण्डोऽस्ति न लोभो न परिग्रहः ।। ४९.

There is no deceiver, nor envy, nor thief, nor fear; there is no oppression, no punishment, no greed, nor accumulation of possessions.

सत्यानृतं न तत्रास्ति धर्माधर्मौ तथैव च। वर्णाश्रमाणां वार्त्ता वा पाशुपाल्यं वणिक्क्रिया ।। ४९.

There is no truth or falsehood there, nor righteousness or unrighteousness; there is no talk of castes or stages of life, nor herding of cattle, nor trading.

त्रयी विद्या दण्डनीतिः शुश्रूषा शल्यमेव च। वर्षद्वये सर्वमेतत् पुष्करस्य न विद्यते ।। ४९.

The threefold Veda, the science of punishment, service, and surgery—none of these exist in those two regions of Puṣkara.

न तत्र नद्यो वर्षञ्च शीतोष्णं वा न विद्यते । उद्भिज्जान्युदकान्यत्र गिरिप्रस्रवणानि च ।। ४९.

There are no rivers, no rainfall, nor cold or heat there; the waters arise from springs and mountain streams.

उत्तराणां कुरूणाञ्च तुल्यकालो जनः सदा। सर्वत्र सुसुखस्तत्र जराक्लमविवर्जितः ।। ४९.

The people of the northern Kurus always experience equal seasons; everywhere they live in great comfort, free from old age and fatigue.

इत्येष धातकीखण्डो महावीते तथैव च । आनुपूर्व्याद्विधिः कृत्स्नः पुष्करस्य प्रकीर्तितः ।। ४९.

Thus, this region of Dhātakī is described in the Mahāvīta; in sequence, the complete order of Puṣkara is proclaimed.

स्वादूदकेनोदधिना पुष्करः परिवारितः। विस्तरान्मण्डलाच्चैव पुष्करस्य तथैव च ।। ४९.

Puṣkara is surrounded by sweet water and the ocean, and likewise by its circular expanse.

एवं द्वीपाः समुद्रैस्तु सप्त सप्तभिरावृताः। द्वीपस्यानन्तरो यस्तु समुद्रस्तु समन्ततः ।। ४९.

Thus, the seven islands are encircled by seven oceans; the ocean next to each island lies all around it.

एवं द्वीपसमुद्राणां वृद्धिर्ज्ञेया परस्परात्। अपाञ्चैव समुद्रेकात् समुद्रा इति संज्ञिताः ।। ४९.

In this way, the growth of the islands and oceans is understood as arising from one another; the waters beyond the ocean are called 'oceans.'