तेषु पुण्या जनपदाश्चिराच्च म्रियते जनः । नाधयो व्याधयो वापि सर्वकालसुखं हि तत् ॥ २,४.
In those lands are holy communities, and people live long before dying; there is neither sorrow nor disease, for happiness prevails at all times.
तेषां नद्यस्तु सप्तैव वर्षाणां च समुद्रगाः । नामतस्ताः प्रवक्ष्यामि श्रुताः पापं हरन्ति याः ॥ २,४.
There are seven rivers in those regions, flowing to the ocean; I will tell you their names, which, when heard, remove sin.
अनुतप्ता शिखी चैव विपाशा त्रिदिवाक्लमः । अमृता सुकृता चैव सप्तैतास्तत्र निम्नगाः ॥ २,४.
Anutaptā, Śikhī, Vipāśā, Tridivāklama, Amṛtā, Sukṛtā, and the seventh is there—these are the rivers that flow downward.
एते शैलास्तथा नद्यः प्रधानाः कथितास्तव । क्षुद्रशैलास्तथा नद्यस्तत्र सन्ति सहस्रशः । ताः पिबन्दि सदाहृष्टा नदीर्जनपदास्तुते ॥ २,४.
These mountains and rivers, the principal ones, have been described to you; there are thousands of lesser mountains and rivers there as well, and the people of your lands always drink from those rivers with joy.
अपसर्पिणी न तेषां वै न चैवोत्सर्पिणी द्विज । न त्वेवास्ति युगावस्था तेषु स्तानेषु सप्तसु ॥ २,४.
There is neither the Apasarpiṇī nor the Utsarpiṇī cycle for them, O twice-born; nor is there any division of ages in those seven regions.
त्रेतायुगसमः कालः सर्वदैव महामते । प्लक्षद्वीपादिषु ब्रह्मञ्शाकद्वीपान्तिकेषु वै ॥ २,४.
Time there is always equal to the Tretā Yuga, O wise one, in Plakṣa and the other islands, and in the regions adjacent to Śāka Island.
पञ्च वर्षसहस्राणि जना जीवन्त्यनामयाः । धर्मः पञ्चस्वथैतेषु वर्णाश्रमविभागशः ॥ २,४.
In those places, people live for five thousand years without illness; and in those five regions, dharma is observed according to the divisions of class and stage of life.
वर्णाश्च तत्र चत्वारस्तान्निबोध वदामि ते ॥ २,४.
There are four classes there; listen as I tell you of them.
आर्यकाः कुरारश्चैव विदिश्या भाविनश्चे ते । विप्रक्षत्रिवैश्यास्ते शूद्राश्च मुनिसत्तम ॥ २,४.
They are called Āryaka, Kurāra, Vidiśya, and Bhāvina; these are the Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras, O best of sages.
ज्मबूवृक्षप्रमाणस्तु तन्मध्ये सुमहांस्तरुः । प्लक्षस्तन्नामसंज्ञोयं प्लक्षद्वीपो द्विजोत्तम ॥ २,४.
In the middle of that land stands a great tree, immense in size, as measured by the trees of the earth; it is called Plakṣa, and from it the island is named Plakṣa, O best of the twice-born.
इज्यते तत्र भगवांस्तैर्वर्णैरार्यकादिभिः । सीमरूपि जगत्स्त्रष्टा सर्वः सर्वेश्वरो हरिः ॥ २,४.
There, the Blessed Lord is worshipped by those classes, beginning with the Āryakas, as the creator of the world in the form of Sīma, the universal Lord, Hari.
प्लक्षद्वीपप्रमाणेन प्लक्षद्वीपः समावृतः । तथैवेक्षुरमोदेन परिवेषानुकारिणा ॥ २,४.
Plakṣa Island is surrounded, in the same measure as itself, by a region of sugarcane juice, forming a ring around it.
इत्येवं तव मैत्रेय प्लक्षद्वीप उदाहृतः । संक्षेपेण मया भूयः शाल्मलं मे निसामय ॥ २,४.
Thus, O Maitreya, Plakṣa Island has been described to you in brief by me; now listen to my account of Śālmalī.
शाल्ममस्येश्वरोःवीरो वपुष्मांस्तत्सुताञ्छृणु । तेषां तु नामसंज्ञानि सप्तवर्षाणि तानि वै ॥ २,४.
The lord of Śālmalī is Vīra, who is radiant; hear now the names of his seven sons, which are the seven regions there.
श्वेतोथ हरितश्चैव जीमूतो रोहितस्तथा । वैद्युतो मानसश्चैव सुप्रभश्च महामुने ॥ २,४.
O great sage, Śveta, Harita, Jīmūta, Rohita, Vaidyuta, Mānasa, and Suprabha are the names.
शाल्मलेन समुद्रोसौ द्वीपेनेक्षुरसोदकः । विस्तारद्विगुणेनाथ सर्वतः संवृतः स्थितः ॥ २,४.
That ocean, surrounding the Śālmalī continent, is called Suroda, and its water is sweet like sugarcane; it is situated all around, being twice as wide as the continent.
तत्रापि पर्वताः सप्त विज्ञेया रत्नयोनयः । वर्षाभिव्यञ्जका ये तु तथा सप्त च निम्नगाः ॥ २,४.
There also are known to be seven mountains, sources of jewels, which distinguish the regions, and likewise seven great rivers.
कुमुदश्चेन्नतश्चैव तृतीयश्च बलाहकः । द्रोणो यत्र महौषध्यः स चतुर्थो महीधरः ॥ २,४.
Kumuda and Nata, and the third called Balāhaka, Droṇa—where great medicinal herbs grow—is the fourth great mountain.
कङ्कस्तुपञ्चमः षष्ठी महिषः सप्तमस्तथा । ककुद्मान्पर्वतवरः सरिन्नामानि मे शृणु ॥ २,४.
Kaṅka is the fifth, Mahiṣa the sixth, and Kakudmat, the best of mountains, is the seventh; now hear from me the names of the rivers.
योनितोयो वितृष्णा च चन्द्रा मुक्ता विमोचनी । निवृत्तिः सप्तमी तासां स्मृतास्ताः पापशान्तिदाः ॥ २,४.
Yoni, Toya, Vitṛṣṇā, Candra, Muktā, Vimocanī, and Nivṛtti are remembered as the seven; they are said to remove sin.
श्वेतञ्च हरितं चैव वैद्युतं मानसं तथा । जीमूतं रोहितं चैव सुप्रभं चापि शोभनम् । सप्तैतानि तु वर्षाणि चातुर्वर्ण्ययुतानि वै ॥ २,४.
Śveta, Harita, Vaidyuta, Mānasa, Jīmūta, Rohita, and Suprabha—these are the seven regions, each inhabited by the four social orders.
शाल्मले ये तु वर्णाश्च वसन्त्येते महामुने । कपिलाश्चारुणाः पीताः कृष्णाश्चैव पृथक्पृथक् ॥ २,४.
O great sage, the people who dwell on Śālmalī are of four colors: tawny, red, yellow, and black, each distinct from the others.
ब्रह्मणाः क्षत्रया वैश्याः शुद्राश्चैव यजन्तितम् । भगवन्तं समस्तस्य विष्णुमात्मानमव्ययम् । वायुभूतं मखश्रेष्ठैर्यज्वनो यज्ञसंस्थितिम् ॥ २,४.
Brahmins, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras there worship the Blessed Lord, the imperishable Self of all, in the form of wind, with excellent sacrifices, upholding the order of sacrifice.
देवानामत्र सान्नध्यमतीव सुमनोहरे । शाल्मलिः सुमहान्वृक्षो नाम्ना निर्वृतिकारकः ॥ २,४.
There stands the Śālmalī tree, exceedingly large and delightful, known as the bringer of contentment, beloved among the gods.
एष द्वीपः समुद्रेण सुरोदेन समावृतः । विस्ताराच्छाल्मलस्यैव समेन तु समन्ततः ॥ २,४.
This continent is surrounded by the ocean called Suroda, which is equal in extent to Śālmalī on all sides.
सुरोदकः परिवृतः कुशद्वीपेन सर्वतः । शाल्मलस्य तु विस्तराद्द्विगुणेन समन्ततः ॥ २,४.
Encircled by Suroda, on all sides lies the Kuśa continent, which is twice the width of Śālmalī.
ज्योतिष्मतः कुशद्वीपे सप्त पुत्राञ्छृणुष्व तान् ॥ २,४.
Hear now the names of the seven sons of Jyotiṣmat, the ruler of Kuśa-dvīpa.
उद्भिदो वेणुमांश्चैव वेरथो लम्बनो धृतिः । प्रभाकरोतिकपिलस्तन्नामा वर्षपद्धतिः ॥ २,४.
Udbhida, Veṇumān, Veratha, Lambana, Dhṛti, Prabhākara, and Kapila—these are their names, and thus the regions are named after them.
तस्मिन्वसन्ति मनुजाः सह दैते यदानवैः । तथैव देवगन्धर्वयक्षकिंपुरुषादयः ॥ २,४.
There dwell humans together with Daityas and Dānavas, as well as gods, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Kimpuruṣas, and others.
वर्णास्तत्रापि चत्वारो निजानुष्ठानतत्पराः । दमिनः शुष्मिणः स्नेहा मन्देहाश्च महामुने ॥ २,४.
There too are four social orders, intent on their own duties: Daminas, Śuṣmiṇas, Snehās, and Mandehas, O great sage.