Adhyaya 88: Account of the Extents of Śālmaladvīpa, Gomedadvīpa, and Puṣkaradvīpa
Śālmaladvīpa–Gomedadvīpa–Puṣkaradvīpa-vistara-kathana
Ancient-Geography (Purāṇic Cosmography)
ໃນກອບການສອນລະຫວ່າງ ວະຣາຫະ–ປຣິຖະວີ ຣຸດຣະໄດ້ສະຫຼຸບຄຳສອນດ້ານພູມສັນຖານຈັກກະວານ ວ່າດ້ວຍການຈັດວາງແລະການຂະຫຍາຍຕາມສັດສ່ວນຂອງດວີປ. ທ່ານເລີ່ມດ້ວຍ ສາລມະລະດວີປ ທີ່ໃຫຍ່ກວ່າ ກຣ່ອນຈະດວີປ ສອງເທົ່າ ແລະຖືກລ້ອມດ້ວຍທະເລເນີຍໃສ (ghṛta-samudra) ພ້ອມລາຍຊື່ພູເຂົາຫຼັກ 7 ລູກ, ວັຣສະ 7 ແລະແມ່ນ້ຳ/ກຸລະ-ປະຣະວະຕ. ຕໍ່ມາແມ່ນ ໂກເມດະດວີປ ດວີປທີ 6 ໃຫຍ່ກວ່າສາລມະລະດວີປສອງເທົ່າ ລ້ອມດ້ວຍທະເລສຸຣາ (suroda) ແລະມີພູເຂົາສຳຄັນ 2 ລູກ ຮວມທັງ ກຸມຸດ. ຈາກນັ້ນ ປຸສກະຣະດວີປ ຖືກລ້ອມດ້ວຍທະເລນ້ຳອ້ອຍ (ikṣurasa) ມີ ມານະສະປະຣະວະຕ ແລະວັຣສະແບ່ງເປັນສອງສ່ວນ. ທ້າຍສຸດ ຣຸດຣະກ່າວເຖິງຂະໜາດຂອງໂລກແລະພຣະຫມານຑະ, ກ່າວວ່າມີໄຂ່ຈັກກະວານນັບບໍ່ຖ້ວນ, ແລະລະລຶກລີລາຂອງ ນາຣາຍະນະ ໃນຮູບ ວະຣາຫະ ທີ່ທຳໃຫ້ໂລກມັ່ນຄົງ ກ່ອນຈະໄປກາຍລາສ
Speakers
Key Concepts
Shlokas in Adhyaya 88
Verse 1
रुद्र उवाच । त्रिषु शिष्टेषु वक्ष्यामि द्वीपेषु मनुजान्युत । शाल्मलं पञ्चमं वर्षं प्रवक्ष्ये तन्निबोधत । क्रौञ्चद्वीपस्य विस्ताराच्छाल्मलो द्विगुणो मतः ॥ ८८.१ ॥
ຣຸດຣະໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ເປັນຍອດໃນມະນຸດ, ບັດນີ້ຂ້າຈະກ່າວເຖິງດວີປທີ່ເຫຼືອອີກສາມ. ຂ້າຈະອະທິບາຍສາລະມະລະ ວັດສະທີ່ຫ້າ; ຈົ່ງຟັງໃຫ້ດີ. ດ້ວຍຂະໜາດ ສາລະມະລະ ຖືກນັບວ່າໃຫຍ່ເປັນສອງເທົ່າຂອງ ກຣາວັນຈະ-ດວີປ»។
Verse 2
श्रीवराह उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा गतो रुद्रः क्षणाददृश्यमूर्तिमान् । ते च सर्वे गता देवा ऋषयश्च यथागतम् ॥ ८८.३ ॥
ພຣະສີວະຣາຫະໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: «ເມື່ອກ່າວດັ່ງນັ້ນແລ້ວ ຣຸດຣະກໍໄດ້ໄປໃນພິບຕາ ກາຍເປັນຜູ້ມີຮູບອັນມອງບໍ່ເຫັນ. ແລະບັນດາເທວະທັງປວງ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍິສີທັງຫຼາຍ ກໍໄດ້ກັບໄປຕາມທີ່ມາ»។
Verse 3
घृतसमुद्रमावृत्य व्यवस्थितस्तद्विस्तारो द्विगुणस्तत्र च सप्त पर्वताः प्रधानास्तावन्ति वर्षाणि तावत्यो नद्यः । तत्र च पर्वताः । सुमहान् पीतःशातकुम्भात् सार्वगुणसौवर्णरोहितसुमनसकुशल ----- जाम्बूनदवैद्युता इत्येते कुलपर्वता वर्षाणि चेति । अथ षष्ठं गोमेदं कथ्यते । शाल्मलं यथा सुरोदेनावृतं तद्वत् सुरोदोऽपि तद्द्विगुणेन गोमेदेनावृतः । तत्र च प्रधानपर्वतौ द्वावेव । एकस्य तावत्तावसरः । अपरश्च कुमुद इति । समुद्रश्चेक्षुरसस्तद्द्विगुणेन पुष्करेणावृतः । तत्र च पुष्कराख्ये मानसो नाम पर्वतः । तदपि द्विधा छिन्नं वर्षं तत्प्रमाणेन च । स्वादोदकेनावृतम् । ततश्च कटाहम् । एतत् पृथिव्याः प्रमाणम् । ब्रह्माण्डस्य च सकटाहविस्तारप्रमाणम् । एवंविधानामण्डानां परिसंख्यां न विद्यते । एतानि कल्पे कल्पे भगवान् नारायणः क्रोडरूपी रसातलान्तःप्रविष्टानि दंष्ट्रैकैनोद्धृत्य स्थितौ स्थापयति । एष वः कथितो मार्गो भूमेरायामविस्तरः । स्वस्ति वोऽस्तु गमिष्यामि कैलासं निलयं द्विजाः
ເມື່ອຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມດ້ວຍສະໝຸດເນີຍໃສ (ຄຣຶຕະ) ຄວາມກວ້າງຂອງມັນຖືກກຳນົດໃຫ້ເປັນສອງເທົ່າ; ທີ່ນັ້ນມີພູເຂົາປະທານ 7 ລູກ, ມີວັຣຩະ (ແຄວ້ນ) ເທົ່ານັ້ນ ແລະມີແມ່ນ້ຳເທົ່ານັ້ນ. ພູເຂົາໃນນັ້ນ—ສຸມະຫານ, ປີຕະ, ຊາຕະກຸມພະ, ສາຣວະກຸນະ, ເສົາວັຣນະ, ໂຣຫິຕະ, ສຸມະນະສ, ກຸສະລະ, … ຊາມບູນະດະ, ໄວທຍຸຕະ—ເຫຼົ່ານີ້ແມ່ນພູເຂົາຂອບເຂດ (ກຸລະປະວະຕະ) ແລະວັຣຩະກໍເປັນໄປດັ່ງນັ້ນ. ບັດນີ້ກ່າວເຖິງດວີປທີ່ 6 ຄື ໂກເມດ. ເຊັ່ນທີ່ ຊາລະມະລະ ຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມດ້ວຍສະໝຸດສຸໂຣດ (ສຸຣາ) ສະໝຸດສຸໂຣດກໍຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມດ້ວຍ ໂກເມດ ເປັນສອງເທົ່າ. ທີ່ນັ້ນມີພູເຂົາປະທານພຽງ 2 ລູກ: ລູກໜຶ່ງຊື່ ຕາວັດຕາວະສະຣະ ແລະອີກລູກຊື່ ກຸມຸດ. ສະໝຸດເປັນ ອິກສຸຣະສະ (ນ້ຳອ້ອຍ) ຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມດ້ວຍ ປຸສກະຣະ ເປັນສອງເທົ່າ. ໃນດວີປຊື່ ປຸສກະຣະ ມີພູເຂົາຊື່ ມານະສະ. ແຄວ້ນນັ້ນກໍຖືກແບ່ງເປັນສອງສ່ວນຕາມສັດສ່ວນ. ມັນຖືກຫ້ອມລ້ອມດ້ວຍສະໝຸດ ສະວາໂທດະກະ (ນ້ຳຫວານ) ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງເຖິງ ກະຕາຫະ (ໝໍ້/ກະທະຈັກກະວານ). ນີ້ແມ່ນມາດຕາຂອງແຜ່ນດິນ ແລະເປັນມາດຕາຂອງຄວາມກວ້າງໃຫຍ່ຂອງພຣະຫມານຑະ ພ້ອມຂອບເຂດດຸດໝໍ້. ຈຳນວນຈັກກະວານຮູບໄຂ່ແບບນີ້ບໍ່ອາດຮູ້ໄດ້. ໃນແຕ່ລະກັລປະ ພຣະພະຄະວານ ນາຣາຍະນະ ໃນຮູບວະຣາຫະ ເຂົ້າໄປຈົນສຸດຣະສາຕະລະ ແລ້ວຍົກຂຶ້ນດ້ວຍງາດຽວ ແລະສະຖາປະນາໃຫ້ມັ່ນຄົງ. ດັ່ງນີ້ ເລື່ອງລາວແຫ່ງຄວາມຍາວແລະຄວາມກວ້າງຂອງແຜ່ນດິນ ໄດ້ກ່າວແກ່ພວກເຈົ້າແລ້ວ. ຂໍຄວາມສະຫວັດດີຈົ່ງມີແກ່ພວກເຈົ້າ; ໂອ ທະວິຊະ, ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າຈະໄປສູ່ ໄກລາສ ອັນເປັນນິລັຍຂອງຂ້າພະເຈົ້າ
Inside Adhyaya 88
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Within the Varāha–Pṛthivī teaching frame, Rudra resumes cosmographic instruction, announcing he will describe the remaining dvīpas beyond those already covered, emphasizing proportional expansion and orderly arrangement.
- Central event
Rudra details the extents and encircling oceans of Śālmaladvīpa (twice Krauñcadvīpa; surrounded by a ghṛta-samudra), then Gomedadvīpa (twice Śālmaladvīpa; surrounded by a suroda-samudra), and finally Puṣkaradvīpa (surrounded by an ikṣurasa-samudra), including their mountains, varṣa-divisions, and river systems in the standard sapta-parvata/sapta-varṣa idiom (with Puṣkara’s distinctive bifurcation).
- Climax resolution
The cosmographic catalogue culminates in brahmāṇḍa-pramāṇa: Rudra states measures of Earth and the cosmic egg(s), notes innumerable brahmāṇḍas, and re-centers the entire mapping in the Varāha doctrine—Nārāyaṇa’s boar-form stabilizes Pṛthivī from rasātala, making cosmic measurement a teaching about terrestrial balance and preservation.
Geographical context
Purāṇic cosmographic regions: Śālmaladvīpa, Krauñcadvīpa, Gomedadvīpa, Puṣkaradvīpa; oceans/seas: ghṛta-samudra, suroda-samudra, ikṣurasa-samudra, svādūdaka; mountains: (kula-parvatas listed) Sumahān, Pīta, Śātakaumbha, Sārvaguṇa, Sauvarṇa, Rohita, Sumanas, Kuśala, Jāmbūnada, Vaidyuta; principal mountain: Kumuda; Mānasaparvata; Kailāsa; rasātala; kaṭāha (cosmic basin imagery).
Ritual instructions
- BenefitNo explicit ritual-vidhi is taught; the chapter’s ‘benefit’ is doctrinal—contemplation of dvīpa-vistāra and samudra-pariveṣṭana as an expression of cosmic order upheld by Varāha/Nārāyaṇa’s stabilizing power.
The narrative frame
- Rudra (within the broader Varāha–Pṛthivī instructional frame)Pṛthivī (and implicitly the Purāṇic audience of sages/gods) · Concise, enumerative, cosmographic; didactic with a concluding theological re-centering on Varāha.
The emotional journey
- Dominant RasaAdbhuta (wonder) with a secondary Śānta (contemplative orderliness).
- Emotional ProgressionFrom measured description (lists of extents, mountains, varṣas, rivers) → widening scale (dvīpa doubling and successive oceans) → cosmic vastness (innumerable brahmāṇḍas) → devotional-theological anchoring in Varāha as the guarantor of stability.
Planning a pilgrimage
- Visit FeasibilityNot directly visitable as terrestrial pilgrimage sites; these are Purāṇic cosmographic regions used for contemplative mapping and theological instruction rather than geographic travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
The chapter frames cosmographic measurement as a doctrine of order and stability: Earth (Pṛthivī) is depicted as periodically stabilized by Nārāyaṇa in boar-form, implying that terrestrial balance is maintained through a larger cosmic governance rather than human ritual action in this passage.
No tithi, lunar month, seasonal (ṛtu), or calendrical markers are specified in Adhyaya 88; the content is primarily spatial and proportional (dvīpa and ocean extents) rather than ritual-timing instruction.
It explicitly connects Earth’s stability to the Varāha motif: Nārāyaṇa, taking a boar form, enters rasātala and raises/sets the worlds into a stable condition. This functions as an early preservation narrative where cosmic structure and Earth’s habitability depend on periodic restorative intervention.
No royal genealogies or administrative lineages are named here. The principal figures are Rudra (as instructor), Varāha/Nārāyaṇa (as cosmic stabilizer), and the implied audience of sages (ṛṣayaḥ) and gods (devāḥ).
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