Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 9
Chapter 108 — भुवनकोषः
Bhuvana-kośa: The Structure of the Worlds
नवसाहस्रमेकैकमेतेषां मुनिसत्तम इलावृतञ्च तन्मध्ये सौवर्णा मेरुरुछ्रितः
navasāhasramekaikameteṣāṃ munisattama ilāvṛtañca tanmadhye sauvarṇā meruruchritaḥ
Ô le meilleur des sages, chacune de ces contrées mesure neuf mille yojanas ; et Ilāvṛta se tient au milieu d’elles, avec le mont Meru d’or s’élevant avec grandeur en son centre.
Lord Agni
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Cosmographic mapping of Jambūdvīpa regions using yojana-measures; aids traditional sacred geography and Purāṇic world-model visualization.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Ilāvṛta-varṣa and the central golden Meru (9,000 yojanas)","lookup_keywords":["Ilāvṛta","Meru","suvarṇa","navasāhasra","yojana"],"quick_summary":"Each varṣa/tract is stated as 9,000 yojanas; Ilāvṛta is central, with golden Meru rising at its middle—key for Purāṇic spatial orientation."}
Concept: Ordered cosmos with a central axis (Meru) and measured regions.
Application: Use as a contemplative map for dhyāna and for interpreting Purāṇic descriptions of pilgrimage, heavens, and directions.
Khanda Section: Bhuvana-kosha (Cosmography / Geography of Jambudvipa)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: Mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A central golden Mount Meru towering upward, encircled by measured regions/varṣas, with Ilāvṛta at the center like a cosmic mandala.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, luminous golden Meru at center, concentric land-bands of Jambūdvīpa, stylized clouds and celestial beings, flat perspective, mineral pigments, sacred cosmography mandala composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Meru rendered as a gold-embossed mountain, concentric rings of land and water, ornate borders, rich reds and greens, devotional cosmography tableau.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean linework and soft shading, labeled concentric regions around Meru, didactic cosmography diagram aesthetic with traditional motifs.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed topographic mandala with a gilded Meru, fine brushwork, delicate inscriptions of yojana measures, pastel palette with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नवसाहस्रमेकैकम् = नवसाहस्रम् + एकैकम्; इलावृतञ्च = इलावृतम् + च; तन्मध्ये = तत् + मध्ये; मेरुरुछ्रितः = मेरुः + उच्छ्रितः (र् + उ → रु)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 108 (Bhuvana-kośa / Jambūdvīpa context)
FAQs
This verse imparts Bhuvana-kosha (cosmographic) knowledge: the measured extent of the regions (as nine-thousand yojanas each) and the central placement of Ilāvṛta with Mount Meru at its core.
It exemplifies the Purana’s encyclopedic scope by preserving systematic sacred geography—dimensions, central regions, and the axis-mountain Meru—alongside its many other domains (ritual, polity, medicine, poetics).
Contemplation and recitation of sacred geography centers devotion on the cosmic order (dharma) with Meru as the world-axis, supporting a purifying, dharma-aligned worldview used in pilgrimage-thought and cosmological meditation.