Cosmography and Geography in Early Indian Literature c6.s1.18

c6.s1.18

The same confusion characterises the shape of the Meru region called the pericarp of the earth-lotus by the Puranic chroniclers. Thus it is said that the area in question was hundred-sided according to Atri, thousand-sided according to Bhṛgu, eight-sided according to Sāvarṇi, four-sided according to Bhāguri, ocean-shaped according to Vārṣāyaṇi, bowl-shaped according to Gālava, of the shape of a top-hair-knot according to Gārgya and circular according to Kroṣṭuki.⁹ The Puranic chroniclers believed that such divergence of opinion was due to the sages having knowledge only of parts of the region while the god Brahman alone was believed to have had full knowledge about it.