The Geography of the Puranas c7.s4.28

c7.s4.28

It is noteworthy that geography of the Sūrya-Siddhānta (12. 38-40)¹⁸ is based entirely on this earlier concept. The Jain texts in general seem to be closer to the Purāṇic concept than are the Buddhist texts, but the oldest texts need further investigation in this respect. Some texts give eight or nine, others as many as nineteen dwipas. The names and the order of such elements as agree with the Purāṇic elements differ considerably from the names and order of the Purāṇic tradition which is itself not always consistent, but many elements are common to both the traditions. There are, however, traces of traditions intermediate between the theory of four dwipas as outlined above and the Purāṇic theory of several concentric dwipas. Weber ¹⁹ describes a theory of two concentric oceans and three (or two and half) dwipas. In the centre is the Jambū Dwīpa, divided by six parallel mountain ranges into seven regions. The mountains from south to north are named Himavat, Mahāhimavat, Niṣadha, Nilavata, Rūpya and Śikharin, Harivarsa, Videhaka, Ramyaka, Airanyavata and Airavata.²⁰ Surrounding Jambū Dwīpa is the salt water ocean. Then comes Dhāta- [Figure: THE WORLD OF THE MAHĀBHĀRATA DIAGRAMMATIC]