06.012
Library: Mountains, oceans, landscapes, and rivers.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
jambūkhaṇḍastvayā prokto yathāvad iha sañjaya। viṣkambham asya prabrūhi parimāṇaṃ ca tattvataḥ ॥6-12-1॥
O Sanjaya, you have accurately described Jambudvipa here. Now, please tell me the true breadth and measurement of it.
samudrasya pramāṇaṃ ca samyagacchidradarśana। śākadvīpaṃ ca me brūhi kuśadvīpaṃ ca sañjaya ॥6-12-2॥
O Sañjaya, with your clear vision, please tell me about the measurement of the ocean, as well as about Śākadvīpa and Kuśadvīpa.
śālmalaṃ caiva tattvena krauñcadvīpaṃ tathaiva ca। brūhi gāvalgaṇe sarvaṃ rāhoḥ somārkayostathā ॥6-12-3॥
O Gāvalgaṇa, please describe in detail the Śālmala and Krauñca islands, as well as everything related to Rāhu, the Moon, and the Sun.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
rājansubahavo dvīpā yairidaṃ santataṃ jagat। sapta tvahaṃ pravakṣyāmi candrādityau grahāṃstathā ॥6-12-4॥
O king, the world is pervaded by many islands. I will describe the seven islands, as well as the moon, sun, and planets.
aṣṭādaśa sahasrāṇi yojanānāṃ viśāṃ pate। ṣaṭśatāni ca pūrṇāni viṣkambho jambuparvataḥ ॥6-12-5॥
O Lord of the worlds, the Jambu mountain has a diameter of eighteen thousand and six hundred yojanas.
lāvaṇasya samudrasya viṣkambho dviguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ। nānājanapadākīrṇo maṇividrumacitrītaḥ ॥6-12-6॥
The ocean, known for its salty waters, is said to be twice as wide, teeming with diverse regions and beautifully adorned with jewels and coral.
naikadhātuvicitraiśca parvatairupaśobhitaḥ। siddhacāraṇasaṅkīrṇaḥ sāgaraḥ parimaṇḍalaḥ ॥6-12-7॥
The ocean, adorned with various minerals and mountains, and crowded with siddhas and charanas, is perfectly circular.
śākadvīpaṃ ca vakṣyāmi yathāvad iha pārthiva। śṛṇu me tvaṃ yathānyāyaṃ bruvataḥ kurunandana ॥6-12-8॥
O King, I shall properly describe Shakadwipa here. Listen to me, O descendant of Kuru, as I speak according to justice.
jambūdvīpapramāṇena dviguṇaḥ sa narādhipa। viṣkambheṇa mahārāja sāgaro'pi vibhāgaśaḥ ॥ kṣīrodo bharataśreṣṭha yena samparivāritaḥ ॥6-12-9॥
O King, the ocean, measured by the size of Jambudvipa, is twice as wide and divided into sections. The milk ocean, O best of the Bharatas, is surrounded by it.
tatra puṇyā janapadā na tatra mriyate janaḥ। kuta eva hi durbhikṣaṃ kṣamātejoyutā hi te ॥6-12-10॥
In those sacred regions, people do not die. There is no famine, for they are endowed with patience and energy.
śākadvīpasya saṅkṣepo yathāvadbharatarṣabha। ukta eṣa mahārāja kimanyacchrotumicchasi ॥6-12-11॥
O great king, the summary of Śākadvīpa has been provided as it is. Is there anything else you wish to know, O best of the Bharatas?
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
śākadvīpasya saṅkṣepo yathāvad iha sañjaya। uktas tvayā mahābhāga vistaraṃ brūhi tattvataḥ ॥6-12-12॥
O Sañjaya, you have already provided a summary of Śākadvīpa as it is here. O fortunate one, please explain it in detail and truly.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tathaiva parvatā rājansaptātra maṇibhūṣitāḥ। ratnākārāstathā nadyasteṣāṃ nāmāni me śṛṇu ॥ atīvaguṇavatsarvaṃ tatra puṇyaṃ janādhipa ॥6-12-13॥
O king, just as there are seven mountains here adorned with jewels, there are also oceans and rivers. Listen to their names from me. Everything there is extremely virtuous and sacred, O ruler of people.
devarṣigandharvayutaḥ paramo merurucyate। prāgāyato mahārāja malayo nāma parvataḥ ॥ yato meghāḥ pravartante prabhavanti ca sarvaśaḥ ॥6-12-14॥
The supreme Mount Meru, accompanied by divine sages and celestial musicians, is renowned. To the east, O great king, lies the mountain known as Malaya, from which clouds emerge and spread in all directions.
tataḥ pareṇa kauravya jaladhāro mahāgiriḥ। yatra nityamupādatte vāsavaḥ paramaṃ jalam ॥ yato varṣaṃ prabhavati varṣākāle janeśvara ॥6-12-15॥
Beyond Kauravya lies the great mountain known as the water-bearer, where Indra perpetually gathers the purest water. It is from here that rain originates during the monsoon season, O king.
uccairgirī raivatako yatra nityaṃ pratiṣṭhitaḥ। revatī divi nakṣatraṃ pitāmahakṛto vidhiḥ ॥6-12-16॥
The high mountain Raivataka is eternally established where Revati, a constellation in the sky, was created by the grandsire as a cosmic law.
uttareṇa tu rājendra śyāmo nāma mahāgiriḥ। yataḥ śyāmatvamāpannāḥ prajā janapadeśvara ॥6-12-17॥
To the north, O King, lies the great mountain called Shyama, from which the people have derived their dark complexion.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
sumahān saṃśayo me'dya proktaṃ sañjaya yat tvayā। prajāḥ kathaṃ sūtaputra samprāptāḥ śyāmatām iha ॥6-12-18॥
Today, Sanjaya, you have expressed a great doubt of mine. How have the people here, O son of a charioteer, come to be in darkness?
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
sarveṣveva mahāprājña dvīpeṣu kurunandana। gauraḥ kṛṣṇaśca varṇau dvau tayorvarṇāntaraṃ nṛpa ॥6-12-19॥
O descendant of Kuru, in all the islands, there exist two colors, white and black, and there is a distinction between them, O king.
śyāmo yasmātpravṛtto vai tatte vakṣyāmi bhārata। āste'tra bhagavān kṛṣṇastatkāntyā śyāmatāṃ gataḥ ॥6-12-20॥
I will tell you, O Bhārata, from whom the darkness indeed originated. Here resides Lord Kṛṣṇa, who has become dark due to that radiance.
tataḥ paraṁ kauravendra durgaśailo mahodayaḥ। kesarī kesarayuto yato vātaḥ pravāyati ॥6-12-21॥
Then, beyond the king of the Kauravas, rises the great fortress mountain. It is like a lion with a mane, from where the wind blows.
teṣāṃ yojanaviṣkambho dviguṇaḥ pravibhāgaśaḥ। varṣāṇi teṣu kauravya samproktāni manīṣibhiḥ ॥6-12-22॥
The wise have mentioned, O descendant of Kuru, that the diameter in yojanas is double by division, and the years among them are specified.
mahāmerurmahākāśo jaladaḥ kumudottaraḥ। jaladhārātparo rājansukumāra iti smṛtaḥ ॥6-12-23॥
The great Meru mountain, vast sky, and clouds are said to be more beautiful than the lotus. Beyond the streams of water, O king, he is remembered as delicate.
raivatasya tu kaumāraḥ śyāmasya tu maṇīcakaḥ। kesarasyātha modākī pareṇa tu mahāpumān ॥6-12-24॥
Raivata's youthful one is Maṇīcaka of Śyāma; Kesara's is Modākī, and beyond them is a great man.
parivārya tu kauravya dairghyaṃ hrasvatvameva ca। jambūdvīpena vikhyātastasya madhye mahādrumaḥ ॥6-12-25॥
Surrounding Kauravya, there is a known great tree in the middle of Jambudvipa, characterized by its length and shortness.
śāko nāma mahārāja tasya dvīpasya madhyagaḥ। tatra puṇyā janapadāḥ pūjyate tatra śaṅkaraḥ ॥6-12-26॥
King Śāka, known as a great ruler, resides centrally in that island. The sacred regions there are revered, and Śaṅkara is worshipped there.
tatra gacchanti siddhāśca cāraṇā daivatāni ca। dhārmikāśca prajā rājaṃścattvāro'tīva bhārata ॥6-12-27॥
O Bharata, there go the perfected beings, bards, divine beings, and righteous subjects, O king, all four in great numbers.
varṇāḥ svakarmaniratā na ca steno'tra dṛśyate। dīrghāyuṣo mahārāja jarāmṛtyuvivarjitāḥ ॥6-12-28॥
The people are dedicated to their respective duties, and there is no thief among them. O great king, they enjoy long lives and are free from the afflictions of old age and death.
prajāstatra vivardhante varṣāsviva samudragāḥ। nadyaḥ puṇyajalāstatra gaṅgā ca bahudhāgatiḥ ॥6-12-29॥
The people flourish there like rivers during the rainy season. The rivers with sacred waters, including the Ganga, flow in various directions.
sukumārī kumārī ca sītā kāverakā tathā। mahānadī ca kauravya tathā maṇijalā nadī ॥ ikṣuvardhanikā caiva tathā bharatasattama ॥6-12-30॥
The delicate and young girl Sita, along with the Kaveri river, the great river, and Kauravya, as well as the Manijala river and Ikshuvardhanika, are mentioned, O best of the Bharatas.
tataḥ pravṛttāḥ puṇyodā nadyaḥ kurukulodvaha। sahasrāṇāṃ śatānyeva yato varṣati vāsavaḥ ॥6-12-31॥
Then, O best of the Kuru dynasty, the sacred rivers began to flow in their thousands and hundreds, from where Indra showers his rain.
na tāsāṃ nāmadheyāni parimāṇaṃ tathaiva ca। śakyate parisaṅkhyātuṃ puṇyāstā hi saridvarāḥ ॥6-12-32॥
The names and extents of these sacred rivers cannot be enumerated; they are truly the great rivers.
tatra puṇyā janapadāścatvāro lokasaṁmatāḥ। magāśca maśakāścaiva mānasā mandagāstathā ॥6-12-33॥
In that place, there are four holy regions that are renowned throughout the world: the Magas, the Mashakas, the Manasas, and the Mandagas.
magā brāhmaṇabhūyiṣṭhāḥ svakarmaniratā nṛpa। maśakeṣu tu rājanyā dhārmikāḥ sarvakāmadāḥ ॥6-12-34॥
O king, the great ones, mostly Brahmins, are engaged in their duties, but among the mosquitoes, the kings are known to be righteous and fulfill all desires.
mānaseṣu mahārāja vaiśyāḥ karmopajīvinaḥ। sarvakāmasamāyuktāḥ śūrā dharmārthanizcitāḥ ॥ śūdrāstu mandage nityaṃ puruṣā dharmaśīlinaḥ ॥6-12-35॥
O great king, in the minds of people, merchants live by their work, fulfilling all desires, brave and determined in righteousness and wealth. However, the Shudras, though slow-witted, are always virtuous men.
na tatra rājā rājendra na daṇḍo na ca daṇḍikāḥ। svadharmeṇaiva dharmaṃ ca te rakṣanti parasparam ॥6-12-36॥
In that place, O king of kings, there is neither a king nor punishment nor punishers. They protect each other and their duty by their own adherence to duty.
etāvadeva śakyaṃ tu tasmindvīpe prabhāṣitum। etāvadeva śrotavyaṃ śākadvīpe mahaujasi ॥6-12-37॥
In that island, only this much can be spoken. Similarly, only this much is to be heard on the mighty island of Shaka.
