06.008
Library: Description of the six jewel mountains stretching out and submerged between the eastern and western oceans; four islands: Bhadrashva, Ketumala, Jambudvipa, and Bharata.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
merorathottaraṃ pārśvaṃ pūrvaṃ cācakṣva sañjaya। nikhilena mahābuddhe mālyavantaṃ ca parvatam ॥6-8-1॥
O wise Sanjaya, please describe in detail the northern and eastern sides of Mount Meru and the Malyavan mountain.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya meroḥ pārśve tathottare। uttarāḥ kuravo rājanpuṇyāḥ siddhaniṣevitāḥ ॥6-8-2॥
O king, to the south of the Nila mountain and to the north of the Meru mountain lie the northern Kurus, a sacred region inhabited by perfected beings.
tatra vṛkṣā madhuphalā nityapuṣpaphalopagāḥ। puṣpāṇi ca sugandhīni rasavanti phalāni ca ॥6-8-3॥
In that place, the trees bear honey-sweet fruits and are always adorned with flowers and fruits. The flowers are fragrant, and the fruits are full of juice.
sarvakāmaphalāstatra kecidvṛkṣā janādhipa। apare kṣīriṇo nāma vṛkṣāstatra narādhipa ॥6-8-4॥
In that place, O ruler of people, there are trees that fulfill all desires, and others known as milky trees, O lord of men.
ye kṣaranti sadā kṣīraṃ ṣaḍrasaṃ hyamṛtopamam। vastrāṇi ca prasūyante phaleṣvābharaṇāni ca ॥6-8-5॥
Those who always produce milk that is rich in six flavors and akin to nectar, and also produce garments and ornaments within fruits.
sarvā maṇimayī bhūmiḥ sūkṣmakañcanavālukā। sarvatra sukhasaṃsparśā niṣpaṅkā ca janādhipa ॥6-8-6॥
The entire land is adorned with jewels and fine golden sand, offering a pleasant touch and being spotless, O ruler of people.
devalokacyutāḥ sarve jāyante tatra mānavāḥ। tulyarūpaguṇopetāḥ sameṣu viṣameṣu ca ॥6-8-7॥
All humans who have fallen from the heavenly world are born there with similar forms and qualities, existing among both equals and unequals.
mithunāni ca jāyante striyaścāpsarasopamāḥ। teṣāṃ te kṣīriṇāṃ kṣīraṃ pibantyamṛtasaṃnibham ॥6-8-8॥
Couples are born, and the women resemble celestial nymphs. They drink milk from those who provide it, which is akin to nectar.
mithunaṃ jāyamānaṃ vai samaṃ tacca pravardhate। tulyarūpaguṇopetaṃ samaveṣaṃ tathaiva ca ॥ ekaikamanuraktaṃ ca cakravākasamaṃ vibho ॥6-8-9॥
The pair, when born, grows together, endowed with similar form and qualities, and equally dressed. Each is attached to the other like chakravaka birds, O lord.
nirāmayā vītaśokā nityaṃ muditamānasāḥ। daśa varṣasahasrāṇi daśa varṣaśatāni ca ॥ jīvanti te mahārāja na cānyonyaṃ jahatuta ॥6-8-10॥
O great king, they live free from disease and sorrow, always joyful, for ten thousand and ten hundred years, never abandoning each other.
bhāruṇḍā nāma śakunāstīkṣṇatuṇḍā mahābalāḥ। te nirharanti hi mṛtāndarīṣu prakṣipanti ca ॥6-8-11॥
The Bhāruṇḍa birds, known for their sharp beaks and great strength, carry away the dead and dispose of them in caves.
uttarāḥ kuravo rājanvyākhyātāste samāsataḥ। meroḥ pārśvamahaṃ pūrvaṃ vakṣyāmyatha yathātatham ॥6-8-12॥
O King, the northern Kurus have been briefly explained. Now, I shall first describe the side of Mount Meru, exactly as it is.
tasya pūrvābhiṣekastu bhadrāśvasya viśāṃ pate। bhadrasālavanaṃ yatra kālāmraśca mahādrumaḥ ॥6-8-13॥
Before his consecration, Bhadrashva, the lord of the people, was in the Bhadrasala forest where there was a great black mango tree.
kālāmraśca mahārāja nityapuṣpaphalaḥ śubhaḥ। dvīpaśca yojanotsedhaḥ siddhacāraṇasevitaḥ ॥6-8-14॥
O great king, the black mango tree is ever-flowering and fruitful, and is considered auspicious. The island, a yojana in height, is inhabited by siddhas and charanas.
tatra te puruṣāḥ śvetāstejoyuktā mahābalāḥ। striyaḥ kumudavarṇāśca sundaryaḥ priyadarśanāḥ ॥6-8-15॥
There, those men are fair and powerful, full of energy. The women are as beautiful as lotus flowers and are pleasing to look at.
candraprabhāścandravarṇāḥ pūrṇacandranibhānanāḥ। candraśītalagātryaśca nṛttagītaviśāradāḥ ॥6-8-16॥
They possess a radiance like the moon, are moon-colored, have faces like the full moon, bodies cool as the moon, and are experts in dance and music.
daśa varṣasahasrāṇi tatrāyurbharatarṣabha। kālāmrarasapītāste nityaṃ saṃsthitayauvanāḥ ॥6-8-17॥
In that place, O best of the Bharatas, the lifespan extends to ten thousand years. Those who have tasted the juice of black mangoes remain eternally youthful.
dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya niṣadhasyottareṇa tu। sudarśano nāma mahāñjambūvṛkṣaḥ sanātanaḥ ॥6-8-18॥
There is a great and eternal Jambu tree named Sudarśana, located to the south of the Nīla mountain and to the north of the Niṣadha mountain.
sarvakāmaphalaḥ puṇyaḥ siddhacāraṇasevitaḥ। tasya nāmnā samākhyāto jambūdvīpaḥ sanātanaḥ ॥6-8-19॥
Jambudvipa, known eternally, is auspicious and fulfills all desires, served by siddhas and charanas.
yojanānāṃ sahasraṃ ca śataṃ ca bharatarṣabha। utsedho vṛkṣarājasya divaspṛṅmanujeśvara ॥6-8-20॥
O best of Bharatas, the king of trees stands a thousand and a hundred yojanas tall, reaching up to the sky, O lord of men.
aratnīnāṃ sahasraṃ ca śatāni daśa pañca ca। pariṇāhastu vṛkṣasya phalānāṃ rasabhedinām ॥6-8-21॥
The tree has a circumference of a thousand cubits, plus ten hundreds and five, with fruits that break the juice.
patamānāni tānyurvyāṃ kurvanti vipulaṃ svanam। muñcanti ca rasaṃ rājaṃstasminrajatasaṃnibham ॥6-8-22॥
As they fall to the ground, they create a loud noise and release a silver-like juice, O king.
tasyā jambvāḥ phalaraso nadī bhūtvā janādhipa। meruṃ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā samprayātyuttarānkurūn ॥6-8-23॥
The juice of the Jambu tree's fruit transforms into a river, encircles Mount Meru, and then flows towards the northern region of the Kurus, O king.
pibanti tadrasam hṛṣṭā janā nityaṃ janādhipa। tasminphalarase pīte na jarā bādhate ca tān ॥6-8-24॥
O ruler of people, the people always drink that juice with pleasure. Once they have drunk that fruit juice, they are not afflicted by old age.
tatra jāmbūnadaṁ nāma kanakaṁ devabhūṣaṇam। taruṇādityavarṇāśca jāyante tatra mānavāḥ ॥6-8-25॥
In that place, the gold known as Jāmbūnada serves as an ornament for the gods. There, humans are born with the radiant color of the young sun.
tathā mālyavataḥ śṛṅge dīpyate tatra havyavāṭ। nāmnā saṁvartako nāma kālāgnirbhartarṣabha ॥6-8-26॥
On the peak of Mālyavat, there is a fire called Saṁvartaka, known as Kālāgni, which shines brightly, O best of the Bharatas.
tathā mālyavataḥ śṛṅge pūrve pūrvāntagaṇḍikā। yojanānāṃ sahasrāṇi pañcāśanmālyavānsthitaḥ ॥6-8-27॥
Thus, Mālyavān is situated at the eastern end of the peak of Mālyavat, fifty thousand yojanas away.
mahārajatasaṅkāśā jāyante tatra mānavāḥ। brahmalokāccyutāḥ sarve sarve ca brahmavādinaḥ ॥6-8-28॥
In that place, humans with a great silver-like appearance are born, all of whom have fallen from Brahmaloka, and they are all speakers of Brahman.
tapastu tapyamānāste bhavanti hyūrdhvaretasaḥ। rakṣaṇārthaṃ tu bhūtānāṃ praviśanti divākaram ॥6-8-29॥
Those who practice austerity become celibate and enter the sun for the protection of all beings.
ṣaṣṭistāni sahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭireva śatāni ca। aruṇasyāgrato yānti parivārya divākaram ॥6-8-30॥
Sixty thousand and sixty hundred chariots of Aruna go ahead, encircling the sun.
ṣaṣṭiṁ varṣasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭimeva śatāni ca। ādityatāpataptāste viśanti śaśimaṇḍalam ॥6-8-31॥
For sixty thousand years and six hundred more, they, scorched by the sun, enter the moon's sphere.
