History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.141

v7.c95.141

The Bhāṣya of Vyāsa on Y. S. III. 25 (26 in some editions) 'bhuvanajñānam sūrye saṃyamāt' contains a concise but remarkably detailed summary of the description of the seven lokas (bhūr, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ, mahaḥ, jana, tapas and satya,²⁴⁸⁷ the seven narakas from Avīci upwards, the seven pātālas, the earth with seven dvīpas, the seven parvatas with Meru in the middle of the earth, varṣas, the seven dvīpas, jambu, śaka, kuśa, krauñca, śālmala, gomedha (not gomedaka as in the printed Purāṇas) and Puṣkara, the seven seas, the parks of the gods, their assembly hall called Sudharmā and city called Sudarśana and palace called Vaijayanta, the groups of gods in Mahendra-loka, Prājāpatya-loka, in Jana, Tapas and Satya lokas. Many of these details closely agree with the enumerations and descriptions in the Purāṇas. This shows that the Paurāṇika cosmography had been established long before the 4th century A. D.