The Geography of the Puranas c10.65

c10.65

These nine 'bhedas' or 'khaṇḍas' of Bhāratavarṣa are mentioned also in the famous astronomical work, the Siddhānta Siromaṇi (III. 41) of the celebrated astronomer Bhāskarācārya, as well as in the majority of Purāṇas. The Vāmana and the Garuḍa Purāṇas, however, replace Saumya and Gandharva by Kataha and Simhala. The ninth dvīpa which is described as 'encircled by seas', 'extending over a thousand yojanas from north to south',³ with Kiratas at the eastern extreme and Yavanas (or Ionians) at the western end and Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas and Śudras residing in between', is not mentioned by name in the majority of the Purāṇas. The name is supplied by the Vāmana Purāṇa as Kumāra (XIII. ii) and by the Kumarika Khaṇḍam of the Skanda Purāṇa as Kumarika (30, 60). The Kāvyamīmāṃsā of Rājaśekhara also gives the name of the ninth dvīpa as Kumārī (Daśavibhāga, p. 92). The Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa along with other Purāṇas describes the nine dvīpas as 'separated by seas and as being mutually inaccessible' (Samudrantarita jneyaste tvagamyah parasparam, Mārk. 575).