Adhyaya 17

Verse 1

इति श्रीब्रदृमहापुराणे वायुप्रोक्ते पूर्वभागे द्वितीये ऽनुषङ्गपादे भारतवर्मतं नाम षोडशो ऽध्यायः ऋषय ऊचुः यच्च किंपुरुषं वर्षं हरिवर्षं तथैव च / आचक्ष्व नो यथातत्त्वं कीर्त्तितं भारतं त्वया

Thus, in the Śrī Brahmāṇḍa Mahāpurāṇa, in the former section spoken by Vāyu, in the second anuṣaṅga-pāda, is the sixteenth chapter called “Bhāratavarmata.” The ṛṣis said: “Tell us truly, as it is, of Kiṃpuruṣa-varṣa and likewise of Hari-varṣa; you have already praised Bhārata-varṣa.”

Verse 2

सूत उवाच शुश्रूषा यत्र वो विप्रास्तच्छृणुध्वमतन्द्रिताः / प्लक्षखण्डः किंपुरुषे सुमहान्नन्दनोपमः

Sūta said: “O vipras, listen without heedlessness to what you wish to hear. In Kiṃpuruṣa-varṣa lies Plakṣa-khaṇḍa, exceedingly vast, like the celestial grove of Nandana.”

Verse 3

दशवर्षसहस्राणि स्थितिः किंपुरुषे स्मृता / सुवर्णवर्णाः पुरुषाः स्त्रियश्चाप्सरसो पमाः

In Kiṃpuruṣa-varṣa, the span of life is remembered as ten thousand years. The men are golden-hued, and the women are like apsarās.

Verse 4

अनामया अशोकाश्च नित्यं मुदितमानसाः / जायन्ते मानवास्तत्र निस्तप्तकनकप्रभाः

There the people are free from illness and sorrow, ever of joyful mind. Those born there shine with the splendor of refined, fire-bright gold.

Verse 5

वर्षे किंपुरुषे पुण्ये वृक्षो मधुवहः शुभः / तस्य किंपुरुषाः सर्वे ऽपिबन् हि रसमुत्तमम्

In the holy Kiṃpuruṣa-varṣa stands an auspicious tree called Madhuvaha. All the kiṃpuruṣas there drink its finest essence, a supreme nectar.

Verse 6

ततः परं किंपुरुषो हरिवर्षः प्रचक्षते / महारजतसंकाशा जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः

Beyond that, past the land of the Kiṃpuruṣas, lies what is called Harivarṣa; there humans are born radiant, shining like great silver.

Verse 7

देवलोकच्युताः सर्वे देवानूकाश्च सर्वेशः / हरिवर्षे नराः सर्वे पिबन्तीक्षुरसं शुफम्

O Lord of all, there all are fallen from the world of the gods and are attendants of the Devas; in Harivarṣa all people drink the pure juice of sugarcane.

Verse 8

एकादश सहस्राणि वर्षाणां तु निरामयाः / हरिवर्षे तु जीवन्ति सर्वे मुदितमानसाः

In Harivarṣa all live free from illness for eleven thousand years, their minds filled with joy.

Verse 9

न जरा बाधते तत्र न म्रियन्ते च ते ऽचिरात् / मध्यमं यन्मया प्रोक्तं नाम्ना वर्षमिलावृतम्

There old age does not trouble them, nor do they die quickly. The central varṣa of which I have spoken is named Ilāvṛta.

Verse 10

न तत्र सूर्यस्तपति न तु जीर्यन्ति मानवाः / चन्द्रसूर्यै सनक्षत्रौ न प्रकाशाविला वृते

There the sun does not scorch, and humans do not grow old; in Ilāvṛta there is no light of moon or sun, nor even of the stars.

Verse 11

पद्मप्रभाः पद्बवर्णास्तथा पद्बनिभेक्षणाः / पद्मपत्रसुगन्धाश्च जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः

There, humans are born with lotus-like radiance, lotus hue, lotus-like eyes, and the sweet fragrance of lotus leaves.

Verse 12

जंबूफलरसाहारा अनिष्यन्दाः सुगन्धिनः / मनस्विनो भुक्तभोगाः सत्कर्मफलभोगिनः

They live on the juice of the jambu fruit, free from decline, fragrant, strong-minded; having enjoyed delights, they partake of the fruits of righteous deeds.

Verse 13

देवलोकच्यताश्चैव महारजतवाससः / त्रयोदशसहस्राणि वर्षाणां ते नरोत्तमाः

Though fallen from the realm of the gods, they wear splendid silver garments; those best of men live for thirteen thousand years.

Verse 14

आयुः प्रमाणं जीवन्ति ये तु वर्ष इलावृते / मेरोः प्रतिदिशं यच्च नवसाहस्रविस्तृतम्

Those who dwell in Ilāvṛta-varṣa live out the full measure of their lifespan; and from Mount Meru in every direction, the expanse extends nine thousand yojanas.

Verse 15

योजनानां सहस्राणि षट्त्रिंशत्तस्य विस्तरः / यतुरस्रं समन्ताच्च शरावाकारसंस्थितम्

Its breadth is thirty-six thousand yojanas; it is square on all sides and set in the form of a bowl (śarāva).

Verse 16

मेरोः पश्चिमभागे तु नवसाहस्रसम्मिते / चतुस्त्रिंशत्सहस्राणि गन्धमादनपर्वतः

On the western side of Mount Meru, in a region measured as nine thousand yojanas, the Gandhamādana Mountain extends for thirty-two thousand yojanas.

Verse 17

उदग्दक्षिणतश्चैव आनीलनिषधायतः / चत्वारिंशत्सहस्राणि परिवृद्धो महीतलात्

To the north and to the south, in accordance with the extent of the Ānīla and Niṣadha ranges, it rises from the earth’s surface to a height of forty thousand yojanas.

Verse 18

सहस्रमवगाढश्च तावदेव च विस्तृतः / पूर्वेण माल्यवाञ्छैलस्तत्प्रमाणः प्रकीर्त्तितः

It is sunk to a depth of one thousand yojanas and is spread as wide as that; to the east, the Mālyavān Mountain is declared to be of the same measure.

Verse 19

दक्षिणेन तु नीलश्च निषधश्चोत्तरेण तु / तेषां मध्ये महामेरुः स्वैः प्रमाणैः प्रतिष्ठितः

To the south is the Nīla Mountain and to the north the Niṣadha Mountain; between them stands Mahāmeru, established according to its own measures.

Verse 20

सर्वेषामेव शैलानामवगाढो यथा भवेत् / विस्तरस्तत्प्रमाणः स्यादायामो नियुतं स्मृतः

For all mountains, whatever their depth of sinking (avagāha) may be, that is to be taken as the measure of their breadth; their length is remembered as ‘niyuta’ in the tradition.

Verse 21

वृत्तभावास्समुद्रस्य महीमण्डलभावतः / आयामाः परिहीयन्ते चतुरस्रसमाः स्मृताः

By the ocean’s circular nature and the condition of the earth-disc, its stretches diminish in measure; they are remembered as equal to a quadrangle.

Verse 22

इलावृतं चतुष्कोणं भिन्दन्ती मध्यभागतः / प्रभिन्नाञ्जनसंकाशा जम्बूरसवती नदी

From the very middle it cleaves Ilāvṛta, the four-cornered land; the river Jambūrasavatī flows, darkly lustrous like shattered anjana stone.

Verse 23

मेरोस्तु दक्षिणे पार्श्वे निषधस्योत्तरेण च / सुदर्शनो नाम महाञ्जम्बूवृक्षः सनातनः

On the southern side of Meru, and to the north of Niṣadha, stands the eternal great jambu tree named Sudarśana.

Verse 24

नित्यपुष्पफलोपेतः सिद्धचारणसेवितः / तस्य नाम्ना समा ख्यातो जम्बूद्वीपो वनस्पतेः

Ever adorned with flowers and fruits, and attended by Siddhas and Cāraṇas; by the name of that sacred tree this land is famed as Jambūdvīpa.

Verse 25

योजनानां सहस्रं च शतं चान्यन्महात्मनः / उत्सेधो वृक्षराजस्य दिवं स्पृशति सर्वतः

The height of that great-souled king of trees is a thousand and a further hundred yojanas; on every side it touches the heavens.

Verse 26

अरत्नीनां शतान्यष्टावेकषष्ट्यधिकानि तु / फलप्रमाणं संख्यातमृषिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः

The seers who behold the truth have reckoned its measure: the Jambū fruit is said to be eight hundred and sixty-eight aratnis in size.

Verse 27

पतमानानि तान्युर्व्यां कुर्वन्ति विपुलं स्वनम् / तस्या जम्ब्वाः फलरसो नदी भूत्वा प्रसर्प्पति

As those fruits fall upon the earth, they raise a mighty sound; and the juice of that Jambū fruit spreads forth, becoming a river.

Verse 28

मेरुं प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा जम्बूमूलं विशत्यधः / तं पिबन्ति सदा त्दृष्टा जंबूरसमिलावृते

That river, having circumambulated Meru, descends and enters beneath the root of the Jambū tree; the dwellers in Ilāvṛta ever drink of it.

Verse 29

जंबूफलरसे पीते न जरा बाधते तु तान् / न क्षुधा न श्रमश्चापि न मृत्युर्न च तन्द्रि तम्

When the juice of the Jambū fruit is drunk, old age does not afflict them; neither hunger nor weariness arises—nor death, nor slothful drowsiness.

Verse 30

तत्र जांबूनदं नाम कनकं देवभूषमम् / इन्द्रगोपकसंकाशं जायते भास्वरं तु तत्

There arises gold called Jāmbūnada, fit for the adornment of the gods; it shines brilliantly, like the indragopaka insect.

Verse 31

सर्वेषां वर्षवृक्षाणां शुभः फलरसः स्तुतः / स्कन्नं भवति तच्छुभ्रं कनकं देवभूषणम्

Of all the trees in the regions, the auspicious juice of their fruits is praised; when it flows down, it becomes pure, radiant gold—an ornament of the gods.

Verse 32

तेषां मूत्रं पुरीषं च दिक्षु सर्वासु सर्वशः / ईश्वरानुग्रहाद्भूमिर्मृताश्च ग्रसते तु तान्

Their urine and dung spread everywhere in all directions; by the grace of the Lord, the earth—and even the dead—swallow them up.

Verse 33

रक्षःपिशाचयक्षाश्च सर्वे हैमवतः स्मृताः / हेमकूटे तु गन्धर्वा विज्ञेयाः साप्सरोगणाः

Rākṣasas, piśācas, and yakṣas are all remembered as dwelling in Haimavata; on Hemakūṭa, know the gandharvas together with the hosts of apsarās.

Verse 34

सर्वे नागस्तु निषधे शेषवासुकितक्षकाः / महामेरौ त्रयस्त्रिंशत्क्रीडन्ते यज्ञियाः सुराः

In Niṣadha dwell all the nāgas—Śeṣa, Vāsuki, and Takṣaka; upon Mahāmeru the thirty-three gods, worthy of yajña, sport in delight.

Verse 35

नीले तु वैदूर्यमये सिद्धा ब्रह्मर्षयो ऽमलाः / दैत्यानां दानवानां चर् श्वेतः पर्वत उच्यते

On Nīla, the mountain of vaidūrya gems, dwell the stainless siddhas and brahmarṣis; and the abode of the daityas and dānavas is called the White Mountain, Śveta.

Verse 36

शृङ्गवान्पर्वतश्रेष्ठः पितॄणां प्रतिसंचरः / नवस्वेतेषु वर्षेषु यथाभागं स्थितेषु वै

Śṛṅgavān, the foremost of mountains, is the path of passage for the Pitṛs; and in those nine Śveta-varṣas they abide, each according to its allotted share.

Verse 37

भूतान्युपनिविष्टानि गतिमन्ति ध्रुवाणि च / तेषां विवृद्धिर्बहुधा दृश्यते दिव्यमानुषी / न संख्या परिसंख्यातुं श्रद्धेया तु बुभूषताम्

There dwell countless beings—some in motion, some steadfast; their increase is seen in many ways, in forms both divine and human. Their number cannot be fully reckoned; seekers of understanding should receive this with faithful reverence.