Parva 3 Chapter 35: mahīvarṇanam - description of the Earth

vaiśampāyana said: (O janamejaya!) The earth which was installed on the top surface of the water body, did not sink, like a huge ship, due to its vast body. tataḥ sa cintayāmāsa pravibhāgaṁ kṣitervibhuḥ | samucchrayaṁ ca sarveṣāṁ parvatānāṁ nadīṣu ca ||3-35-2 vilekhanaṁ pramāṇaṁ ca gatiṁ prasravameva ca | māhātmyaṁ ca viśeṣaṁ ca nadīnāmanvacintayat ||3-35-3 The lord then thought about dividing the earth into portions, such as height for all the mountains. The lord also thought about lines showing the pathways, the length of flow, the water flow, greatness and specialty for the rivers. caturantāṁ dharāṁ kṛtvā tathā caiva mahārṇavam | madhye pṛthivyāḥ sauvarṇamakaronmeruparvatam ||3-35-4 Containing the earth within four boundaries, the Lord created the great ocean. At the centre of the earth, the golden mountain, meru was installed. prācīṁ dishamatho gatvā cakārodayaparvatam | śatayojanavistāraṁ sahasraṁ ca samucchrayam ||3-35-5 Afterwards, on the eastern direction, the great rising mountain, one hundred yojana (1 yojana = 9 miles) wide and one thousand yojana high was installed, jātarūpamayaiḥ śṛṅgaistarūṇādityasannibhaiḥ | ātmatejoguṇamayairvedikābhogakalpitam ||3-35-6 along with golden peaks shining like the young sun, having splendorous qualities of the soul. The mountain was created looking like a huge altar. vividhāṁścha mahāskandhānkāṣchanānpuṣkarekṣaṇaḥ | nityapuṣpaphalānvṛkṣānkṛtavāṁstatra parvate ||3-35-7 On the mountain, the Lord, with eyes as beautiful as the lotus flower, created a group of trees with huge golden trunks bearing flowers and fruits eternally. śatayojanavistāraṁ tatastriguṇamāyatam | cakāra sa mahādevaḥ punaḥ saumanasaṁ girim ||3-35-8 Then the great lord again created the mountain, pleasing to feelings (saumanasa) one hundred yojana (1 yojana = 9 miles) wide and thrice as high. nānāratnasahasrāṇāṁ kṛtvā tatra susaṣchayam | vedikāṁ bahuvarṇāṁ ca saṁdhyābhrābhāmakalpayat ||3-35-9 The Lord then created a multi-coloured stage, shining with the colours of evening clouds, endowed with thousands of jewels. sahasraśṛṅgaṁ ca giriṁ nānāmaṇiśilātalam | kṛtavānvṛkṣagahanaṁ ṣaṣṭiyojanamucchritam ||3-35-10 He created a mountain, with thousand peaks, having different jewels, dense with trees, sixty yojana (1 yojana = 9 miles) tall. āsanaṁ tatra paramaṁ sarvabhūtanamaskṛtaṁ | kṛtavānātmanaḥ sthānaṁ viśvakarmā prajāpatiḥ ||3-35-11 The Lord of beings, the creator of the universe, created a place for the soul, a high seat worshipped by all beings. śiśiraṁ ca mahāśailaṁ tuṣārachayasaṁnibham | cakāra durgagahanaṁ kandarāntaramaṇḍitam ||3-35-12 The lord created a great cold mountain, like dew, dense with impassable paths full of caves and gorges. śiśiraprabhavāṁ caiva nadīṁ dvijagaṇāyutām | cakāra pulinopetāṁ vasudhārāmiti śrutiḥ ||3-35-13 The traditional knowledge says that the Lord created the river vasundhara, flowing from snow, blessed with groups of the twice-born, living along the sandbanks. sā nadī nikhilāṁ prācīṁ puṇyāṁ mukhaśataiśchitām | śobhayatyamṛtaprakhyairmuktāśaṅkhavibhūṣitaiḥ ||3-35-14 That river with its hundred sacred faces adorns the entire eastern direction. Decorated by pearls and conches, it beautifies the east like nectar. nityapuṣaphalopetaiścādayadbhiḥ susaṁvṛtaiḥ | bhūṣitābhyadhikaiḥ kāntaiḥ sā nadī tīrajairdrumaiḥ ||3-35-15 Decorated and covered by the trees, endowed eternally with flowers, fruits and shadow on its bank, that river is beautified. kṛtvā prācīvibhāgaṁ ca dakṣiṇāyāmatho dishi | cakāra parvataṁ divyaṁ sarvakāṣchanarājatam ||3-35-16 After dividing the east, the Lord divided the southern direction likewise and installed a divine mountain, decorated with gold and silver. ekataḥ sūryasaṅkāśamekataḥ shashisannibham | sa bibhracchuśubhe'tīva dvau varṇau parvatottamaḥ ||3-35-17 The best among mountains, one place shining like gold and the other shining like silver, dazzled most with two colours. tejasā yugapadvyāptaṁ suryācandramasāviva | vapuṣmantamatho tatra bhānumantaṁ mahāgirim ||3-35-18 The splendor of the sun and the moon filled up the great mountains, vapuṣmanta as well as bhānumanta. sarvakāmaphalairvṛkṣairvṛtaṁ ramyairmanoramaiḥ | cakāra kuṣjaraṁ caiva kuṣjarapratimākṛtim ||3-35-19 The mountains, covered by beautiful trees, pleasing the mind, fulfilled all desires of the mind. Then the Lord created the mountain kuṣjara as well in the form of an elephant. sarvataḥ kāṣchanaguhaṁ bahuyojanavistṛtam | ṛṣabhapratimaṁ caiva ṛṣabhaṁ nāma parvatam ||3-35-20 The Lord created a mountain named ṛṣabha (bull), having the form of a bull, many yojana wide and endowed with golden caves. hemakāṣchanavṛkṣāḍhyaṁ puṣpahāsaṁ sa sṛṣṭavān | mahendramatha śailendraṁ śatayojanamucchritam ||3-35-21 The Lord also created the mountain puṣpahāsa, which was endowed with gold as well as trees and also the king of mountains, mahendra, one hundred yojana high. jātarūpamayaiḥ śṛṅgaiḥ sapuṣpitamahādrumam | medinyāṁ kṛtavāndevaḥ pratikṣobhamivācalam ||3-35-22 The mountain had golden peaks and great flowering trees. On the earth, that mountain made by the Lord, looked like pratikṣobha in body form. nānāratnasamākīrṇaṁ sūryendusadṛśaprabham | cakāra malayaṁ cādriṁ citrapuṣpitapādapam ||3-35-23 The Lord created the mountain, malaya, full of varieties of jewels, dazzling like the sun and the moon, filled with wonderful trees with beautiful flowers. mainākaṁ ca mahāśailaṁ śilājālasamāvṛtam | dakṣiṇasyāṁ dishi śubhaṁ cakārācalamāyatam ||3-35-24 In the southern direction, the Lord created an extended, auspicious, great mountain named maināka, covered by groups of rocks. sahasraśirasaṁ vindhyaṁ nānādrumalatākulam | The Lord created the mountain vindhya, full of varieties of trees and creepers, having one thousand peaks. nadīṁ ca vipulāvartāṁ pulinaśroṇibhūṣitām ||3-35-25 kṣīrasaṅkāśasalilāṁ payodhārāmiti śrutiḥ | The Lord also created a river having wide whirlpools, decorated by the thighs of sandbanks, famed as payodhara, since its water is similar to milk. surabhyāṁ toyakalilāṁ vihitāṁ dakṣiṇāṁ disham ||3-35-26 divyāṁ tīrthaśatopetāṁ plāvayantīṁ śubhāmbhasā | The river with fragrant water was created by the Lord in the southern direction. The river is divine, having hundreds of places of pilgrimage, providing ample amount of auspicious water. diśaṁ yāmyāṁ pratiṣṭhāpya pratīcīṁ diśamāgamat ||3-35-27 Installing the river in the southern direction, the Lord came to the western direction. akarottatra śailendraṁ śatayojanamucchritam | śobhitaṁ śikharairaścitraiḥ supravṛddhairhiraṇmayaiḥ ||3-35-28 The Lord created a king of mountains, one hundred yojana (= 9 miles) high, shining with wonderful peaks, full of gold, kāṣchanībhiḥ śilābhiścha guhābhiścha vibhūṣitam | samākulaṁ sūryanibhaiḥ śālaistālaiścha bhāsvaraiḥ ||3-25-29 decorated by golden rocks and many caves and shining with the Sal (Vatica Robusta) and Palmyra trees sparkling like the sun. shuśubhe jātarūpaścha śrīmadbhiścitravedikaiḥ | ṣaṣṭiṁ girisahasrāṇi tatrāsau saṁnyaveśayat ||3-35-30 The Lord created sixty mountains, shining like gold and having auspicious picture galleries there, merupratimarūpāṇi vapuṣā prabhayā saha | competing with the mountain meru with their body and splendor. sahasrajaladhāraṁ ca parvataṁ merusannibham ||3-35-31 puṇyatīrthaguṇopetaṁ bhagavāntsaṁnyaveśayat | The Lord installed a mountain, similar to the mountain meru with one thousand streams of water, having auspicious places of pilgrimage. ṣaṣṭiyojanavistāraṁ tāvadeva samucchritam ||3-35-32 ātmarūpopamaṁ tatra vārāhaṁ nāma nāmataḥ | That mountain is sixty yojana (= 9 miles) wide and equally high, comparable to the form of his soul, having the name vārāha (mountain). niveśayāmāsa giriṁ divyaṁ vaiḍūryaparvatam ||3-35-33 rājatāḥ kāṣchanāścaiva yatra divyāḥ śilocchayāḥ | The lord installed the divine mountain, full of cat's eye gems. There are divine hills of silver and gold on that mountain. tatraiva cakrasadṛśaṁ cakravantaṁ mahābalam ||3-35-34 sahasrakūṭaṁ vipulaṁ bhagavāntsaṁnyaveśayat | There, the Lord installed a wide mountain named cakravanta, similar to a wheel, highly powerful, having one thousand summits. śaṅkhapratimarūpaṁ ca rājataṁ parvatottamam ||3-35-35 sitadrumasamākīrṇaṁ śaṅkhaṁ nāma nyaveshayat | The Lord installed a silvery mountain, full of white trees, the best among mountains, named śaṅkhaṁ, competing with the form of conch. suvarṇaṁ ratnasaṁbhūtaṁ pārijātaṁ mahādrumam ||3-35-36 mahataḥ parvatasyāgre puṣpahāsaṁ nyaveshayat | The Lord installed the great tree, pārijata, giving golden jewels, smiling with full of flowers on top of the largest mountain. śubhāmatirasāṁ caiva ghṛtadhārāmiti śrutiḥ ||3-35-37 varāhaḥ saritaṁ puṇyāṁ pratīchyāmakarotprabhuḥ | Lord varāha (viṣṇu) installed a holy auspicious river, having tasty water, famous as the stream of butter, in the western direction. pratīchyāṁ saṁvidhiṁ kṛtvā parvatānkāṣchanojjvalān ||3-35-38 In the western direction, the Lord installed mountains, sparkling with gold. guṇottarānuttarasyāṁ saṁnyaveśayadagrataḥ | tataḥ saumyagiriṁ saumyamantarikṣapramāṇataḥ ||3-35-39 In the northern direction, the Lord installed mountains having best quality in the front. The Lord installed the gentle mountain, saumya, having the size of the sky. rukmadhātupraticcchannamakarodbhāskaropamam | sa tu desho visūryo'pi tasya bhāsā prakāśate ||3-35-40 The Lord created golden minerals, shining like the sun. Due to the brightness, that place shines, even without the sun. tasya lakṣmyādhikaṁ bhāti tapasā raviṇā yathā | sūkṣmalakṣaṇavijṣeyastapatīva divākaraḥ ||3-35-41 As the moon loses its splendor, near the sun at noon, the Lord of the day (sun) loses its splendor and appears minute, compared to this mountain. sahasraśikharaṁ caiva nānātīrthasamākulam | cakāra ratnasaṅkīrṇaṁ bhūyo'staṁ nāma parvatam ||3-35-42 Afterwards, the Lord again created a mountain named asta endowed with one thousand peaks full of jewels, along with many places of pilgrimage. manoharaguṇopetaṁ mandaraṁ cācalottamam | uddāmapuṣpagandhaṁ ca parvataṁ gandhamādanam ||3-35-43 Then the Lord created the best among mountains, mountain mandaraṁ, endowed with qualities stealing the mind and mountain gandhamādana, full of unlimited amount of fragrant flowers. cakāra tasya śṛṅgeṣu suvarṇarasasaṁbhavam | jambuṁ jāmbūnadamayīmanantādbhutadarśanām ||3-35-44 The Lord created the rose apple tree (Eugenia Jambolana), full of gold (in appearance), having no end and appearing wonderful, having golden fruit juice, on the peaks of mountain gandhamādana. giriṁ ca śikharaṁ caiva tathā puṣkaraparvatam | śubhraṁ pāṇḍurameghābhaṁ kailāsaṁ ca nagottamam ||3-35-45 Afterwards, the Lord created the mountain and the peaks of puṣkara and also the best among mountains, the white mountain kailāsa, with the beauty of white clouds. himavantaṁ ca śailendraṁ divyadhātuvibhūṣitam | niveśayāmāsa harirvārāhīṁ tanumāsthitaḥ ||3-35-46 Taking up the body of the varāha, hari (viṣṇu) installed the best among mountains, mountain himavanta, decorated by divine minerals. nadīṁ sarvaguṇopetāṁuttarasyāṁ dishi prabhuḥ | madhudhārāṁ sa kṛtavāndivyāmṛṣiśatākulām ||3-35-47 Then the Lord (viṣṇu) made a divine river named stream of honey (madhudhāra) with all good qualities in the northern direction, with hundreds of sages (living on its banks). sarve caiva kṣitidharāḥ sapakṣāḥ kāmarūpiṇaḥ | tadā kṛtā bhagavatā vicitrāḥ parameṣṭhiṇā ||3-35-48 The supreme Lord (viṣṇu) created all those who bear the earth (mountains), beautiful, having wings and with the ability to take up any form they desire. sa kṛtvā pravibhāgaṁ tu pṛthivyā lokabhāvanah | devāsurāṇāmutpattau kṛtavānbuddhimakṣaYām ||3-35-49 Dividing the earth in this way, the Lord who desires the welfare of the world, used his intellect having no decline, for the creation of deva-s and asuras. sarvāsu dikṣu kṣatajopamākṣa- ścakāra śailānvividhābhidhānān | hitāya lokasya sa lokanāthaḥ puṇyāścha nadyaḥ salilopagūḍhāḥ ||3-35-50 The Lord of the world, Lord viṣṇu having blood red eyes created mountains with many names and divine rivers full of water in all the directions for the welfare of the entire world. iti śrīmāḥābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi vārāhe paṣchatriṁśo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the thirtyfifth chapter of bhaviṣyaparava, varāhaprādurbhāva, harivaṁśa, knila of mahabhārata, description of the Earth. nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-35-1 tasyeti | tasya saṁplavaṁ majjanam || · 3-35-3 vilekhanaṁ mārgajṣāpanaṁ lekhārūpeṇa pramāṇaṁ yojanataḥ gatiṁ prāṅgmukhādimāhātmyaṁ pāvanatvaṁ viśeṣaṁ phalatāratamyam || · 3-35-4 caturantāṁ caturdalapadmakarām bharatāḥ ketumalāścha bhadrāśvā kuravastathā | patrāṇi bhūmipadmasya maryādā śailabāhyataḥ || iti purāṇāntarokteḥ || · 3-35-28 akaroditi | shailendram astācalamityarthaḥ || · 3-35-40 sa tviti | visūryo'pi ratrāvapi || · 3-35-41 lakṣmyādhikaṁ candramaṇḍalaṁ yathā tapasā raviṇā bhāti evaṁ ravistena parvatenetyarthaḥ | ata evāhnimadhmāhlārkasannidhisthaścandra iva sūkṣmalakṣaṇo vijṣeyaḥ || · 3-35-42 bhūyostaṁ nameti | bhūyaḥ padātpūrvam akarodityatra sa uktaḥ evetyarthaḥ | atra punaruktiḥ pāśchatyajanābhiprāyeṇa | pāścātyānāṁ hi dakṣiṇasyāmudayācalaḥ | uttarasyāmastācalaḥ | evaṁ prācyanām uttare udayācalo dakṣiṇasto'stācalaḥ | tadā audichyānāṁ pratīchyām udayaḥ prācyāmasta iti || iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ paṣchatriṁśo'dhyāyaḥ ||