Cosmography and Geography in Early Indian Literature c6.s2.41

c6.s2.41

The Meru has four viṣkambhas, or supporting ranges, on its four sides, viz. (1) Mandara in the east associated with Bhadrāśva ; (2) Gandhamādana in the south associated with Jambu-dvīpa ; (3) Vipula in the west associated with Ketumāla, and (4) Supārśva in the north associated with Uttara-Kuru.³³ In the regions of the said four viṣkambhas are the following 4 vanas, viz. (1) Caitraratha in the east ; (2) Nandana in the south, (3) Vaibhrāja in the west, and (4) Savitṛ-vana in the north. They have respectively the following 4 lakes, viz. Aruṇoda (east), Mānasa (south), Śītoda or Sitoda (west) and Mahābhadra (north). There are also the following mountains in the different directions : (1) to the east of the Aruṇoda—Śītānta, Kumuñja, Sudhīra, Vikaṅka, Maṇiśila, Vṛṣabha, Mahānīla, Rucaka, Savitu, Mandara, Veṇumat, Sumedha, Niṣadha, Deva, etc. ; (2) to the south of the Mānasa—Śrīśikhara, Śīśira, Kaliṅga, Pataṅga, Rucaka, Sānumat, Tāmrābha, Viśākha, Śvetodara, Samūla, Viṣadhāra, Ratnadhāra, Ekaśṛṅga, Mahāmūla, Gaja, Piśācaka, Pañca, Kailāsa and Himavat; (3) to the west of the Śitoda—Suvakṣas, Śikhin, Kāla, Vaidūrya, Kapila, Piṅgala, Rudra, Surasa, Kumuda, Madhumat, Añjana, Mukuṭa, Kṛṣṇa, Paṇḍāra, Sahasraśikhara, Pārijāta and Triśṛṅga; and (4) to the north of the Mahābhadra—Śaṅkukūṭa, Vṛṣabha, Hamsa, Nāga, Kapila, Indra, Nila, Kanakaśṛṅga, Śataśṛṅga, Puṣpaka, Megha, Virāja and Jārudhi.³⁴ There are other details of the regions such as (1) a palmyra forest on the river Sukhā flowing between the Mahānīla and Kumuñja, which is the abode of Airāvata; (2) the city of the Saimhikeyas on the northern peaks of the maryādā-parvata called Devakūṭa, (3) the Umā-vana on the Kailāsa, etc., etc.³⁵ The number of maryādā-parvatas or boundary ranges is sometimes given as eight, viz. Jaṭhara and Devakūṭa in the east and Niṣadha and Pāripātra in the west, both groups extending from Mt. Nila to Mt. Niṣadha, as also Kailāsa and Himavat in the south and Śṛṅgavat and Jārudhi in the north, both groups extending from sea to sea.³⁶ Offen however the Mālyavat and Gandhamādana, respectively to the west and east of the Meru region separating it from Ketumāla and Bhadrāśva are mentioned as the ranges extending from Mt. Nila to Mt. Niṣadha.³⁷