Adhyaya 79: Description of the Inner Basins (Droṇīs): Śrīsaras, Śrīvana, Bilva Forest, and Tāla Grove

Verse 1

रुद्र उवाच । सीतान्तस्याचलेन्द्रस्य कुमुदस्यान्तरेण च । द्रोण्यां विहङ्गपुष्टायां नानासत्त्वनिषेवितम् ॥ ७९.१ ॥

Rudra said: Between the mountain-lord Sītānta and (the mountain) Kumuda there is a valley-basin—nourished by birds—frequented and inhabited by many kinds of living beings.

Verse 2

त्रियोजनशतायामं शतयोजनविस्तृतम् । सुरसामलपानीयं रम्यं तत्र सुरोचनम् ॥ ७९.२ ॥

There is a region extending one hundred yojanas in length and one hundred yojanas in breadth; its drinking-water is pure and pleasing like surasā and āmalā. That place is delightful—radiant and beautiful.

Verse 3

द्रोणमात्रप्रमाणैश्च पुण्डरीकैः सुगन्धिभिः । सहस्रशतपत्रैश्च महापद्मैरलङ्कृतम् ॥ ७९.३ ॥

It was adorned with fragrant white lotuses (puṇḍarīka) of the measure of one droṇa, and with great lotuses (mahāpadma) bearing a thousand or a hundred petals.

Verse 4

देवदानवगन्धर्वैर्महासर्पैरधिष्ठितम् । पुण्यं तच्छ्रीसरो नाम सप्रकाशमिहेह च ॥ ७९.४ ॥

That sacred place, presided over by gods, dānavas, gandharvas, and great serpents, is called Śrīsara; it is renowned and manifest here as well.

Verse 5

प्रसन्नसलिलैः पूर्णं शरण्यं सर्वदेहिनाम् । तत्र त्वेकं महापद्मं मध्ये पद्मवनस्य च ॥ ७९.५ ॥

Filled with clear and tranquil waters, it is a refuge for all embodied beings. There, indeed, a single great lotus stands in the very middle of the lotus-grove.

Verse 6

कोटिपत्रप्रकलितं तरुणादित्यवर्चसम् । नित्यं व्याकोशमधुरं चलत्वादतिमण्डलम् ॥ ७९.६ ॥

Fashioned with crores of petals, it possessed the radiance of the young sun—ever sweet and fully opened; and, by its movement, it was exceedingly circular in form.

Verse 7

चारुकेसरजालाढ्यं मत्तभ्रमरनादितम् । तस्मिन्मध्ये भगवती साक्षात् श्रीर्नित्यमेव हि । लक्ष्मीस्तु तं तदावासं मूर्त्तिमन्तं न संशयः ॥ ७९.७ ॥

Adorned with a lovely net of filaments (keśara) and resounding with the humming of intoxicated bees, in its very midst the Blessed Lady—Śrī herself—abides eternally. And Lakṣmī, without doubt, regards that place as her dwelling, manifest in embodied form.

Verse 8

सरसस्तस्य तीरे तु तस्मिन् सिद्धनिषेवितम् । सदा पुष्पफलṃ रम्यं तत्र बिल्ववनं महत् ॥ ७९.८ ॥

On the bank of that lake, in the place frequented by siddhas, there stood a great bilva-grove, ever delightful, always bearing flowers and fruits.

Verse 9

शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं द्वियोजनशतायतम् । अर्द्धक्रोशोच्छशिखरैर्महावृक्षैः समन्ततः । शाखासहस्रकलितैर्महास्कन्धैः समाकुलम् ॥ ७९.९ ॥

It spread over a hundred yojanas in breadth and extended two hundred yojanas in length; on every side it was encircled by great trees whose crowns rose to the height of half a krośa, and it was densely filled with massive trunks bearing thousands of branches.

Verse 10

फलैः सहस्रसङ्काशैः हरितैः पाण्डुरैस्तथा । अमृतस्वादुसदृशैर्भेरीमात्रैः सुगन्धिभिः ॥ ७९.१० ॥

It bore fruits as if in the thousands—green and also pale—sweet like amṛta, drum-sized, and fragrant.

Verse 11

शीऱ्यद्भिश्च पतद्भिश्च कीर्णभूमिवनान्तरम् । नाम्ना तच्छ्रीवनं नाम सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुतम् ॥ ७९.११ ॥

Strewn with trees that were decaying and with those that were falling, the interior of that forest-land lay scattered about; by name it was called “Śrīvana,” renowned among all worlds.

Verse 12

देवादिभिः समाकीर्णमष्टाभिः ककुभिः शुभम् । बिल्वाशिभिश्च मुनिभिः सेवितं पुण्यकारिभिः । तत्र श्रीः संस्थिता नित्यं सिद्धसङ्घनिषेविता ॥ ७९.१२ ॥

Auspicious in all eight directions, it is thronged with gods and other beings. It is frequented by sages who subsist on bilva fruit—makers of merit. There Śrī (Fortune/Prosperity) abides perpetually, attended by hosts of Siddhas.

Verse 13

एकैकस्याचलेन्द्रस्य मणिशैलस्य चान्तरम् । शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं द्वियोजनशतायतम् ॥ ७९.१३ ॥

The interval between each lordly mountain and the Maṇiśaila mountain is one hundred yojanas in breadth and two hundred yojanas in length.

Verse 14

विमलं पङ्कजवनं सिद्धचारणसेवितम् । पुष्पं लक्ष्म्या धृतं भाति नित्यं प्रज्वलतीव ह ॥ ७९.१४ ॥

A spotless lotus-grove, attended by Siddhas and Cāraṇas—there a flower, held by Lakṣmī, shines constantly, as if ever aflame.

Verse 15

अर्द्धक्रोशं च शिखरैर्महास्कन्धैः समावृतम् । प्रफुल्लशाखाशिखरं पिञ्जरं भाति तद्वनम् ॥ ७९.१५ ॥

That forest, extending for half a krośa, is enclosed by peaks and great tree-trunks; with its branch-tops in full bloom, it appears tawny-golden in hue.

Verse 16

द्विबाहुपरिणाहैस्तैस्त्रिहस्तायामविस्तृतैः । मनःशिलाचूर्णनिभैः पाण्डुकेसरशालिभिः ॥ ७९.१६ ॥

They had a girth of two arm-spans and were spread out to a length of three cubits—pale, bearing whitish filaments, and resembling powdered manaḥśilā (realgar).

Verse 17

पुष्पैर्मनोहरैर्व्याप्तं व्याकोशैर्गन्धशोभिभिः । विराजति वनं सर्वं मत्तभ्रमरनादितम् ॥ ७९.१७ ॥

The entire forest shines, pervaded by captivating flowers—fully opened and resplendent with fragrance—while it resounds with the humming of intoxicated bees.

Verse 18

तद्वनं दानवैर्दैत्यैर्गन्धर्वैर्यक्षराक्षसैः । किन्नरैरप्सरोभिश्च महाभोगैश्च सेवितम् ॥ ७९.१८ ॥

That forest was frequented by Dānavas and Daityas, by Gandharvas, Yakṣas, and Rākṣasas, and also by Kinnaras and Apsarases—indeed, by beings of great enjoyments and splendor.

Verse 19

तत्राश्रमो भगवतः कश्यपस्य प्रजापतेः । सिद्धसाधुगणाकीर्णं नानाश्रमसमाकुलम् ॥ ७९.१९ ॥

There was the hermitage of the venerable Prajāpati Kaśyapa—filled with assemblies of siddhas and sādhus, and bustling with many kinds of ascetic dwellings and disciplines.

Verse 20

महानीलस्य मध्ये तु कुम्भस्य च गिरेस्तथा । मध्ये सुखा नदी नाम तस्यास्तीरे महद्वनम् ॥ ७९.२० ॥

In the region between Mahānīla and likewise the mountain named Kumbha, there is a river called Sukhā; upon its bank lies a great forest.

Verse 21

पञ्चाशद्योजनायामं त्रिंशद्योजनमण्डलम् । रम्यं तालवनं श्रीमत् क्रोशार्द्धोच्छ्रितपादपम् ॥ ७९.२१ ॥

“The splendid and delightful Tālavana extends for fifty yojanas in length and spans a circuit of thirty yojanas; its trees rise to a height of half a krośa.”

Verse 22

महाबलैर्महासारैः स्थिरैरविचलैः शुभैः । महदञ्जनसंस्थानैः परिवृत्तैर्महाफलैः ॥ ७९.२२ ॥

(They are) of great strength and great solidity—firm, unmoving, and auspicious—of massive form like collyrium-dark mountainous masses, well-rounded, and bearing great fruits.

Verse 23

मृष्टगन्धगुणोपेतैरुपेतं सिद्धसेवितम् । ऐरावतस्य करिणस्तत्रैव समुदाहृतम् ॥ ७९.२३ ॥

Endowed with refined fragrance and noble qualities, and attended by the revered siddhas, there itself is also mentioned the elephant of Airāvata.

Verse 24

ऐरावतस्य रुद्रस्य देवशैलस्य चान्तरे । सहस्रयोजनायामा शतयोजनविस्तृता ॥ ७९.२४ ॥

Between Airāvata, Rudra, and the divine mountain Devaśaila, it extends for a thousand yojanas in length and is a hundred yojanas in breadth.

Verse 25

सर्वा ह्येकशिला भूमिर्वृक्षवीरुधवर्जिता । आप्लुता पादमात्रेण सलिलेन समन्ततः ॥ ७९.२५ ॥

For the entire Earth was then a single expanse of rock, devoid of trees and creeping plants, and flooded on every side by water to the depth of only a foot.

Verse 26

इत्येताभ्यन्तरद्रोण्यो नानाकाराः प्रकीर्त्तिताः । मेरोह् पार्श्वेन विप्रेन्द्रा यथावदनुपूर्वशः ॥ ७९.२६ ॥

Thus, these inner basins of various forms have been described—O best of brahmins—along the flank of Mount Meru, properly and in due sequence.