Vayu Purana

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.'

ऋषयो निवसन्त्यस्मिन् प्रजा यस्माच्चतुर्विधाः। तस्माद्वर्षमिति प्रोक्तं प्रजानां सुखदन्तु तत् ।। ४९.

Rishis dwell in this region, and the people are of four kinds; therefore, it is called a 'region,' and it brings happiness to its inhabitants.

ऋष इत्येव ऋषयः वृषः शक्तिप्रबन्धने। इति प्रबन्धनात् सिद्धं वर्षत्वं तेन तेषु तत् ।। ४९.

The term 'ṛṣa' means rishis; 'vṛṣa' signifies strength in binding; thus, from this connection, the status of 'region' is established among them.

शुक्लपक्षे चन्द्रवृद्धौ समुद्रः पूर्यते तदा। प्रक्षीयमाणे बहुले क्षीयतेऽस्तमिते खगे ।। ४९.

During the waxing phase of the moon, the ocean fills; as the moon wanes and sets, the ocean diminishes.

आपूर्यमाणे उदधिः स्वत एवाभिपूर्यते। ततोऽपक्षीयमाणेऽपि स्वात्मनैवापकृष्यते ।। ४९.

When the ocean is filling, it fills by itself; then, as it wanes, it recedes by its own nature.

उखास्थमग्निसंयोगात् जलमुद्रिच्यते यथा। तथा महोदधिगतं तोयमुद्रिच्यते ततः ।। ४९.

Just as water evaporates from a vessel due to contact with fire, so too does the water in the great ocean evaporate.

अन्यूनाह्यतिरिक्ताश्च वर्द्धन्त्यापो ह्रसन्ति च। उदयास्तमितैश्चेन्दोः पक्षयोः शुक्लकृष्णयोः। क्षयवृद्धिरेवमुदधेः सोमवृद्धिक्षयात्पुनः ।। ४९.

Waters increase or decrease, becoming more or less, according to the rising and setting of the moon, during its bright and dark phases; thus, the ocean's decrease and increase follow the waxing and waning of the moon.

दशोत्तराणि पञ्चैव अङ्गुलीनां शतानि तु। अपां वृद्धिः क्षयो दृष्टः समुद्राणान्तु पर्वसु ।। ४९.

The increase and decrease of the waters is observed to be one hundred and fifteen finger-widths at the junctions of the oceans.

द्विरापत्वात् स्मृता द्वीपाः सर्वतश्चोदकावृताः। उदकस्याधानं यस्माच्च तस्मादुदधिरुच्यते ।। ४९.

Because the islands are surrounded everywhere by water, they are called 'islands'; and since water is contained there, it is called 'ocean.'

अपर्वाणस्तु गिरयः पर्वभिः पर्वताः स्मृताः । प्लक्षद्वीपे तु गोमेदः पर्वतस्तेन चोच्यते ।। ४९.

Mountains not at the junctions are called 'mountains,' while those at the junctions are known as 'ranges'; in Plakṣa island, the mountain Gomeda is thus named.

शाल्मलिः शाल्मलद्वीपे पूज्यते च महाद्रुमाः। कुशद्वीपे कुशस्तम्बस्तस्य नाम्ना स उच्यते ।। ४९.

The Śālmalī tree is honored in Śālmalī island as a great tree; in Kuśa island, the Kuśa stalk is called by its own name.