The Geography of the Puranas c7.s4.36

c7.s4.36

Even more significant is the passage in the Rāmāyaṇa (4.40) which contains a long description of the journey made by the monkeys eastward (verses 19.54) in search of Sītā. It said there that the searchers, after leaving India, will first come to Yavadwīpa (probably Jāvā), Saptarajyo-paśobhitam and Suvarṇarūpyakadvīpāni, Suvarṇakaramanditam,²⁵ then to a mountain named Śiśira,²⁶ then to a river (Soṇa) then to an ocean (Kālameghapratimam), then to an ocean (Raktajalam Lohitam)²⁷ where there is Kuṭaśālmali, then to the Pāṇḍurameghābham Kṣirodam, in the midst of which is a mountain (mahāna śveta Ṛsabho nāma parvatah) containing the Sudarśana lake, then to the Jalodama which contains the Hayamukha (whirlpool). On the northern shore of this ocean is a mountain (Jalarūpaśilo nāma Sumahān kanakaprabhah) and beyond this to the east, the Udayagiri, one peak of which is named Saumanasa. In Gorresio's edition which differs considerably from the above account, the stages of the journey are marked by the following names: Jaladwīpa, Gaṇadwīpa, Jambū-dwīpa, Śiśira, Kālodaka, Lohita (with the Kuṭaśālmali) Mt. Gośṛnga, Kṣiroda (with Mt. Aṅśumat and Lake Sudarśana), Ghṛtoda, Jalarūpaśilā, Udayagiri and Saumanasa. The first three names are puzzling. The ocean (Kālameghapratimam or Kāloda) is comparable to the Kāloda, which, in some Jain accounts, surrounds the second dwīpa Dhātaki. Lohita is comparable to the red ocean of wine (Surā) which surrounds Sālmalidwīpa; the mention of the Kuṭaśālmali makes the identification certain. Kṣiroda corresponds to the ocean of milk which surrounds Sākadvīpa²⁸. The Ghṛtoda can be identified with the Ghṛtoda which surrounds Kuśadwīpa. Jaloda corresponds to the ocean of fresh water which surrounds Puṣkaradwīpa, while Hayamukha is identical with the Vaḍavāmukha or Vaḍavānala of the Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas.²⁹ The passage seems to be old, older even than the geographical passage in the Mahābhārata (6). It probably reflects travellers' accounts of voyages to the east. It is to be noted also that Rāmāyaṇa 4.42.38 for obvious reasons locates Meru in the west, not in the north.