Mahabharata 6.13: trayodaśo'dhyāyaḥ

6.13.1

saṃjaya uvāca |
uttareṣu tu kauravya dvīpeṣu śrūyate kathā |
yathāśrutaṃ mahārāja bruvatastannibodha me || 1 ||

"Sanjaya said, 'O Kauravya, that which is heard about the islands in the north, I will recount to thee, O Great king. Listen to me now. (Thither in the north) is the ocean whose waters are clarified butter. Then is the ocean whose waters are curds. Next cometh the ocean whose waters are wine, and then is another ocean of water. The islands, O king, are double in area of one another as they proceed further and further towards the north. And they are surrounded, O king, by these oceans. In the island that is in the middle, there is a large mountain called Goura made of red arsenic; on the western island, O king, is the mountain Krishna that is the favourite (abode) of Narayana. There Kesava guardeth celestial gems (in profusion), and thence, inclined to grace, he bestoweth happiness on creatures. Along with the kingdoms there, O king, the (celestial) clump of Kusa grass in Kusadwipa, and the Salmali tree in the island of Salmalika, are adored. In the Krauncha island also, the mountain called Maha-krauncha that is a mine of all kinds of gems is, O king, always adored by all the four orders of men. (There), O monarch, is the mountain called Gomanta that is huge and consists of all kinds of metals, and whereon always resideth, mingling with those that have been emancipated, the puissant Narayana, otherwise called Hari, graced with prosperity and possessed of eyes like lotus leaves. In Kusadwipa, O king of kings, there is another mountain variegated with corals and called after the name of that island itself. This mountain is inaccessible and made of gold. Possessed of great splendour, O Kauravya, there is a third mountain there that is called Sumida. The sixth is called Harigiri. These are the six principal mountains. The intervening spaces between one another of these six mountains increaseth in the ratio of one to two as they proceed further and further towards the north. The first Varsha is called Audhido; the second is Venumandala; the third is called Suratha; the fourth is known by the name of Kamvala; the fifth Varsha is called Dhritimat; and the sixth is named Prabhakara; the seventh Varsha is called Kapila. These are the seven successive Varshas. In these, gods and Gandharvas, and other creatures of the universe, sport and take delight. In these Varshas the inhabitants never die. There, O king, are no robbers, nor any tribes of Mlecchas. All the residents are almost white in complexion, and very delicate, O king.

6.13.2

ghṛtatoyaḥ samudro'tra dadhimaṇḍodako'paraḥ |
surodaḥ sāgaraścaiva tathānyo gharmasāgaraḥ || 2 ||

6.13.3

paraspareṇa dviguṇāḥ sarve dvīpā narādhipa |
sarvataśca mahārāja parvataiḥ parivāritāḥ || 3 ||

6.13.4

gaurastu madhyame dvīpe girirmānaḥśilo mahān |
parvataḥ paścimaḥ kṛṣṇo nārāyaṇanibho nṛpa || 4 ||

6.13.5

tatra ratnāni divyāni svayaṃ rakṣati keśavaḥ |
prajāpatimupāsīnaḥ prajānāṃ vidadhe sukham || 5 ||

6.13.6

kuśadvīpe kuśastambo madhye janapadasya ha |
saṃpūjyate śalmaliśca dvīpe śālmalike nṛpa || 6 ||

6.13.7

krauñcadvīpe mahākrauñco girī ratnacayākaraḥ |
saṃpūjyate mahārāja cāturvarṇyena nityadā || 7 ||

6.13.8

gomandaḥ parvato rājansumahānsarvadhātumān |
yatra nityaṃ nivasati śrīmānkamalalocanaḥ |
mokṣibhiḥ saṃstuto nityaṃ prabhurnārāyaṇo hariḥ || 8 ||

6.13.9

kuśadvīpe tu rājendra parvato vidrumaiścitaḥ |
sudhāmā nāma durdharṣo dvitīyo hemaparvataḥ || 9 ||

6.13.10

dyutimānnāma kauravya tṛtīyaḥ kumudo giriḥ |
caturthaḥ puṣpavānnāma pañcamastu kuśeśayaḥ || 10 ||

6.13.11

ṣaṣṭho harigirirnāma ṣaḍete parvatottamāḥ |
teṣāmantaraviṣkambho dviguṇaḥ pravibhāgaśaḥ || 11 ||

6.13.12

audbhidaṃ prathamaṃ varṣaṃ dvitīyaṃ veṇumaṇḍalam |
tṛtīyaṃ vai rathākāraṃ caturthaṃ pālanaṃ smṛtam || 12 ||

6.13.13

dhṛtimatpañcamaṃ varṣaṃ ṣaṣṭhaṃ varṣaṃ prabhākaram |
saptamaṃ kāpilaṃ varṣaṃ saptaite varṣapuñjakāḥ || 13 ||

6.13.14

eteṣu devagandharvāḥ prajāśca jagatīśvara |
viharanti ramante ca na teṣu mriyate janaḥ || 14 ||

6.13.15

na teṣu dasyavaḥ santi mlecchajātyo'pi vā nṛpa |
gauraprāyo janaḥ sarvaḥ sukumāraśca pārthiva || 15 ||

6.13.16

avaśiṣṭeṣu varṣeṣu vakṣyāmi manujeśvara |
yathāśrutaṃ mahārāja tadavyagramanāḥ śṛṇu || 16 ||

"'As regards the rest of the islands, O ruler of men, I will recount all that hath been heard by me. Listen, O monarch, with an attentive mind. In the Krauncha island, O great king, there is a large mountain called Krauncha. Next to Krauncha is Vamanaka; and next to Vamanaka is Andhakara. And next to Andhakara, O king, is that excellent of mountains called Mainaka. After Mainaka, O monarch, is that best of mountains called Govinda; and after Govinda, O king, is the mountain called Nivida. O multiplier of thy race, the intervening spaces between one another of these mountains increaseth in the ratio of one to two. I will now tell thee the countries that lie there. Listen to me as I speak of them. The region near Krauncha is called Kusala; that near Vamanaka is Manonuga. The region next to Manonuga, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, is called Ushna. After Ushna is Pravaraka; and after Pravaraka is Andhakaraka. The country after Andhakaraka is named Munidesa. After Munidesa the region is called Dundubhiswana teeming with Siddhas and Charanas. The people are almost white in complexion, O king. All these countries, O monarch, are the habitations of gods and Gandharvas. In [paragraph continues] (the island of) Pushkara is a mountain called Pushkara that abounds with jewels and gems. There always dwelleth the divine Prajapati himself. Him all the gods and great Rishis always adore with gratifying words and worship reverently, O king. Diverse gems from Jamvudwipa are used there. In all these islands, O king, Brahmacharyya, truth, and self-control of the dwellers, as also their health and periods of life, are in the ratio of one to two as the islands are more and more remote (northwards). O king, the land in those islands, O Bharata, comprises but one country, for that is said to be one country in which one religion is met with. The Supreme Prajapati himself, upraising the rod of chastisement, always dwelleth there, protecting those islands. He, O monarch, is the king. He is their source of bliss. He is the father, and he is the grand-father. He it is, O best of men, that protecteth all creatures there, mobile or immobile. Cooked food, O Kauravya, cometh there of itself and the creatures eat it daily. O mighty-armed one. After these regions is seen a habitation of the name of Sama. It is of a starry-shape having four corners, and it hath, O king, thirty-three mandalas. There dwell, O Kauravya, four princely elephants adored by all. They are, O best of the Bharatas, Vamana, and Airavata, and another, and also Supratika. O king, with rent cheeks and mouth, I do not venture to calculate the proportions of these four elephants. Their length, breadth and thickness have for ever remained unascertained. There in those regions, O king, winds blow irregularly from all directions. These are seized by those elephants with the tips of their trunks which are of the complexion of the lotus and endued with great splendour and capable of drawing up everything in their way. And soon enough after seizing them they then always let them out. The winds, O king, thus let out by those respiring elephants, come over the Earth and in consequence thereof creatures draw breath and live.'

6.13.17

krauñcadvīpe mahārāja krauñco nāma mahāgiriḥ |
krauñcātparo vāmanako vāmanādandhakārakaḥ || 17 ||

6.13.18

andhakārātparo rājanmainākaḥ parvatottamaḥ |
mainākātparato rājangovindo giriruttamaḥ || 18 ||

6.13.19

govindāttu paro rājannibiḍo nāma parvataḥ |
parastu dviguṇasteṣāṃ viṣkambho vaṃśavardhana || 19 ||

6.13.20

deśāṃstatra pravakṣyāmi tanme nigadataḥ śṛṇu |
krauñcasya kuśalo deśo vāmanasya manonugaḥ || 20 ||

6.13.21

manonugātparaścoṣṇo deśaḥ kurukulodvaha |
uṣṇātparaḥ prāvarakaḥ prāvarādandhakārakaḥ || 21 ||

6.13.22

andhakārakadeśāttu munideśaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ |
munideśātparaścaiva procyate dundubhisvanaḥ || 22 ||

6.13.23

siddhacāraṇasaṃkīrṇo gauraprāyo janādhipa |
ete deśā mahārāja devagandharvasevitāḥ || 23 ||

6.13.24

puṣkare puṣkaro nāma parvato maṇiratnamān |
tatra nityaṃ nivasati svayaṃ devaḥ prajāpatiḥ || 24 ||

6.13.25

taṃ paryupāsate nityaṃ devāḥ sarve maharṣibhiḥ |
vāgbhirmanonukūlābhiḥ pūjayanto janādhipa || 25 ||

6.13.26

jambūdvīpātpravartante ratnāni vividhānyuta |
dvīpeṣu teṣu sarveṣu prajānāṃ kurunandana || 26 ||

6.13.27

viprāṇāṃ brahmacaryeṇa satyena ca damena ca |
ārogyāyuḥpramāṇābhyāṃ dviguṇaṃ dviguṇaṃ tataḥ || 27 ||

6.13.28

eko janapado rājandvīpeṣveteṣu bhārata |
uktā janapadā yeṣu dharmaścaikaḥ pradṛśyate || 28 ||

6.13.29

īśvaro daṇḍamudyamya svayameva prajāpatiḥ |
dvīpānetānmahārāja rakṣaṃstiṣṭhati nityadā || 29 ||

6.13.30

sa rājā sa śivo rājansa pitā sa pitāmahaḥ |
gopāyati naraśreṣṭha prajāḥ sajaḍapaṇḍitāḥ || 30 ||

6.13.31

bhojanaṃ cātra kauravya prajāḥ svayamupasthitam |
siddhameva mahārāja bhuñjate tatra nityadā || 31 ||

6.13.32

tataḥ paraṃ samā nāma dṛśyate lokasaṃsthitiḥ |
caturaśrā mahārāja trayastriṃśattu maṇḍalam || 32 ||

6.13.33

tatra tiṣṭhanti kauravya catvāro lokasaṃmatāḥ |
diggajā bharataśreṣṭha vāmanairāvatādayaḥ |
supratīkastathā rājanprabhinnakaraṭāmukhaḥ || 33 ||

6.13.34

tasyāhaṃ parimāṇaṃ tu na saṃkhyātumihotsahe |
asaṃkhyātaḥ sa nityaṃ hi tiryagūrdhvamadhastathā || 34 ||

6.13.35

tatra vai vāyavo vānti digbhyaḥ sarvābhya eva ca |
asaṃbādhā mahārāja tānnigṛhṇanti te gajāḥ || 35 ||

6.13.36

puṣkaraiḥ padmasaṃkāśairvarṣmavadbhirmahāprabhaiḥ |
te śanaiḥ punarevāśu vāyūnmuñcanti nityaśaḥ || 36 ||

6.13.37

śvasadbhirmucyamānāstu diggajairiha mārutāḥ |
āgacchanti mahārāja tatastiṣṭhanti vai prajāḥ || 37 ||

6.13.38

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
paro vai vistaro'tyarthaṃ tvayā saṃjaya kīrtitaḥ |
darśitaṃ dvīpasaṃsthānamuttaraṃ brūhi saṃjaya || 38 ||

"Dhritarashtra said,--'Thou hast, O Sanjaya, told me everything about the first subject very elaborately. Thou hast also indicated the positions of the islands. 'Tell now, O Sanjaya, about what remains.'

6.13.39

saṃjaya uvāca |
uktā dvīpā mahārāja grahānme śṛṇu tattvataḥ |
svarbhānuḥ kauravaśreṣṭha yāvadeṣa prabhāvataḥ || 39 ||

"Sanjaya said,--'Indeed, O great king, the islands have all been described to thee. Listen now to what I truly say about the heavenly bodies and about Swarbhanu, O chief of the Kauravas, as regards its dimensions. It is heard, O king, that the planet Swarbhanu is globular. Its diameter is twelve thousand Yojanas, and its circumference, because it is very large, is forty-two thousand Yojanas, O sinless one, as said by the learned of olden times. The diameter of the moon, O king, is stated to be eleven thousand Yojanas. Its circumference, O chief of the Kurus, is stated to be thirty-eight thousand nine hundred Yojanas of the illustrious planet of cool rays. It hath been heard that the diameter of the beneficent, fast going and light-giving Sun, O thou of Kuru's race, is ten thousand Yojanas, and his circumference, O king, is thirty-five thousand eight hundred miles, in consequence of his largeness, O sinless one. These are the dimensions reckoned here, O Bharata, of Arka. The planet Rahu, in consequence of his greater bulk, envelops both the Sun and the Moon in due times. I tell thee this in brief. With the eye of science, O great king, I have now told thee all that thou hadst asked. Let peace be thine. I have now told thee about the construction of the universe as indicated in the Shastras. Therefore, O Kauravya, pacify thy son Duryodhana. '

6.13.40

parimaṇḍalo mahārāja svarbhānuḥ śrūyate grahaḥ |
yojanānāṃ sahasrāṇi viṣkambho dvādaśāsya vai || 40 ||

6.13.41

pariṇāhena ṣaṭtriṃśadvipulatvena cānagha |
ṣaṣṭimāhuḥ śatānyasya budhāḥ paurāṇikāstathā || 41 ||

6.13.42

candramāstu sahasrāṇi rājannekādaśa smṛtaḥ |
viṣkambheṇa kuruśreṣṭha trayastriṃśattu maṇḍalam |
ekonaṣaṣṭirvaipulyācchītaraśmermahātmanaḥ || 42 ||

6.13.43

sūryastvaṣṭau sahasrāṇi dve cānye kurunandana |
viṣkambheṇa tato rājanmaṇḍalaṃ triṃśataṃ samam || 43 ||

6.13.44

aṣṭapañcāśataṃ rājanvipulatvena cānagha |
śrūyate paramodāraḥ pataṃgo'sau vibhāvasuḥ |
etatpramāṇamarkasya nirdiṣṭamiha bhārata || 44 ||

6.13.45

sa rāhuśchādayatyetau yathākālaṃ mahattayā |
candrādityau mahārāja saṃkṣepo'yamudāhṛtaḥ || 45 ||

6.13.46

ityetatte mahārāja pṛcchataḥ śāstracakṣuṣā |
sarvamuktaṃ yathātattvaṃ tasmācchamamavāpnuhi || 46 ||

6.13.47

yathādṛṣṭaṃ mayā proktaṃ saniryāṇamidaṃ jagat |
tasmādāśvasa kauravya putraṃ duryodhanaṃ prati || 47 ||

6.13.48

śrutvedaṃ bharataśreṣṭha bhūmiparva manonugam |
śrīmānbhavati rājanyaḥ siddhārthaḥ sādhusaṃmataḥ |
āyurbalaṃ ca vīryaṃ ca tasya tejaśca vardhate || 48 ||

"Having listened to this charming Bhumi Parva, O chief of the Bharatas, a Kshatriya becometh endued with prosperity, obtaineth fruition of all his desires, and winneth the approbation of the righteous. The king who listeneth to this on days of the full-moon or the new-moon, carefully observing vows all the while, hath the period of his life, his fame and energy, all enhanced. His (deceased) sires and grandsires become gratified. Thou hast now heard of all the merits that flow from this Varsha of Bharata where we now are!'"

6.13.49

yaḥ śṛṇoti mahīpāla parvaṇīdaṃ yatavrataḥ |
prīyante pitarastasya tathaiva ca pitāmahāḥ || 49 ||

6.13.50

idaṃ tu bhārataṃ varṣaṃ yatra vartāmahe vayam |
pūrvaṃ pravartate puṇyaṃ tatsarvaṃ śrutavānasi || 50 ||