Do thou again hear of the nine divisions of the country of Bhārata. They are Indra-dwipa, Kasermut, Tāmravarna, Galehastimat, Nāgadwipa, Saumya, Gandharva and Varuna. The last is encircled by the sea and is a thousand yojanas in extent from north to south.
On the east of Bhārata live the Kiratas, and on the west Yavanas in the centre live Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaidyas, and Sudras engaged severally in sacrifice, arms, trade and service.
The rivers Satadru, Chandrabhāga and others have taken their rise from the Himālaya. Vedasmriti and others have taken their rise from the Vindya range. Tapi, Poyoshni, Nirbindhā and others have taken their rise from Riksha; Godaveri, Bhimarathi, Krishnaveni and others have taken their rise from Sahya mountain. And all these remove the dread of sin. Kritamala, Tamraparni and others flow from the Malaya hills; Trisama, Rishikulya and others from the Mahendra; and the Rishikulya, Kumari and others from the Suktimat mountains. There are thousands of rivers like these and the tributaries thereof. The Kurus and Panchalas in the middle districts, the inhabitants of Kāmrupa in the east, the Pundras, Kalingas, Magadhas, and other southern nations, the Saurāsthras, Suras, Bhiras, Arbudas in the west, the Karushas and Mālavas dwelling along the Pāripātra mountains, the Sauviras, the Saindhavas, the Hānas, the Sālwas the inhabitants of Sakala, the Madras, the Rāmas, the Ambasthas and the Parishakas and others drink the waters of these rivers and live on their banks happy and prosperous.
There are four Yugas or ages in the Bhārata-Varsha, O Great Muni, namely the Krita, the Tretā, the Dwāpara, and Kali—there is no such cycle of ages in any other land. Here the ascetics are engaged in penances, the devout offer sacrifices, and the people distribute gifts for the sake of another world. In Jāmbu-Dwipa, Vishnu, all sacrifice, in the shape of sacrificial male, is worshipped by people with sacrifices—there is altogether a different practice in other lands. O Great Muni, Bhārata therefore is the best of all the divisions of Jāmbu-dwipa, for it is the land of actions and all other divisions are places of enjoyment. O sage, it is after many thousand births, and by the accumulation of piety, that living beings are sometimes born in Bhāratavarsa as men. The celestials themselves have chanted "Blessed are those who are born in Bhāratavarsa as men even from the condition of the celestials for this is a land which leads to Paradise and final liberation. And all actions, that are performed by men born in this land and freed from sins, careless of the merited rewards, are consigned by them to the eternal Vishnu, the Great soul and then they emerge in him. We do not know when the actions, that have secured for us heaven, shall bear fruits and when we shall be born again. But Blessed are those who are born in Bhāratvarsha with perfect faculties". O Maitreya, I have, thus in short, described to you the nine divisions of Jambu-dwipa which extend over a hundred thousand yojanas and which is girt, as if by a bracelet, by the ocean of salt water which is similar in dimensions.
SECTION IV.
Parāçara said:—As Jambu-dwipa is encircled all around by the ocean of salt water like a bracelet, so that ocean is also girt by the insular continent Plaksha. The extent of Jambu-dwipa is a hundred thousand yojanas and it is said, O Brahman, that the extent of Plaksha-dwipa is twice as much.
Medhatiti, the king of Plaksha-dwipa, had seven sons, Santabhaya, Sisira, Sukhodhaya, Ananda, Siva, Kshemaka and Dhruva. And all these seven became kings of Plaksha-dwipa. The seven divisions were named after them—Santābhaya-varsa, Sisira-varsa, Sukhada-varsa, Ananda-varsa, Siva-varsa, Kshemaka-varsa, and Dhruva-varsa. These seven varsas had seven mountain-ranges as their boundaries. Do thou hear, from me, the names of these mountains, O foremost of Munis,—Gomeda, Chandra, Nārada, Dundhubi, Somaka, Sumanas, and Vaibhraja. In all these picturesque mountains the sinless inhabitants dwell perpetually along with the celestials and Gandharvas. There are holy villages where people live for a long time, freed from care and pain and enjoying uninterrupted happiness. And in those divisions there are seven rivers all flowing into the ocean—I shall relate their names, bearing which all sins shall be removed. They are the Anutapā, Sikhi, Vipasā, Tridivā, Kramu, Amritā and Sukritā. These are the principal rivers and mountains of Plakshsa-dwipa, which I have described to you; but there are thousands of others of inferior size. Those who partake of the waters of these rivers, always live happy and contented; there is neither the increase nor decrease of the population; the revolution of the four ages is not known there; O thou of great mind, the time there is uniformly of the character of Treta Yuga. In all these Dwipas, O Brahman, people live peacefully for five thousand years, and religious rites are severally performed by diverse castes and divisions of the people. There are four castes which I shall relate to you. They are Aryaka, Kuru, Vivasa and Bhavi corresponding respectively with Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras, O foremost of Munis. As there is a huge Jambu-tree in the Jambu-dwipa so there is a large fig-tree in this insular continent and this Dwipa is called Plaksha after the name of that tree, O foremost of twice-born ones. Hari, the all, the lord of all, the creator of the universe, is worshipped in the form of the moon by the Aryakas and other caste people. Plaksha-dwipa is girt, as if by a disc, by the sea of molasses which is equal to the island in extent. I have thus given to you, O Maitreya, in a brief compass, a description of the island called Plaksha; I shall now describe the island Salmala; do thou hear it.
The heroic Vapusmat is the sovereign of the Salmala-dwipa; do thou hear the names of his seven sons who gave names to the seven divisions of this insular continent. They were Sweta, Harita, Jimuta, Rohita, Vaidyuta, Manasa, and Suprabha. The sea of molasses is girt by this insular continent on all sides, which is twice in extent. There are seven mountain ranges containing precious jems and dividing the Dwipa and there are seven rivers. They are Kumuda, Unnata, Valahaka, Drona, abounding in medicinal herbs, Kanka, Mahisha and Kakkudwat. The principal rivers are Yauni, Toya, Vitrishna, Chandra, Sukla, Vimochani and Nivritti; the waters of all these remove sins. All the varsas namely Sweta, Harita, Vaidyuta, Manasa, Jimuta and Suprava are very charming. All these varsas are peopled by men of four castes. The four castes, O great Muni, who reside in Salmala-dwipa, are severally known as Kapilas, Arunas, Pitas and Rohitas (or tawny, purple, yellow and red) corresponding to Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras, who all perform sacrifices and worship the Great undecaying Vishnu, the soul of all things, in the form of Vayu (wind) with pious rites. The people there enjoy frequent association with the celestials. There is a huge Salmali (silk-cotton) tree in this insular continent, which gives its name and affords delight to gods.
This Dwipa is encircled on all sides by the Ocean named Suroda, which is equal to the island in extent. This ocean Suroda is again girt on all sides by the Kusa-dwipa which is twice the Salmali island in extent. The king Jyotishmat in Kusa-dwipa had seven sons; do thou hear their names. They are Udvida, Venuman, Swairatha, Lavana, Dhriti, Prabhakara and Kapita after whom the seven varshas were severally named. There live men along with the Daityas, Dānavas, gods, Gandharvas, Yakshas, and Kimparushas. The four castes devoted to the performance of their respective duties are called Damis, Sushinis, Snehas, and Mandehas corresponding, in order to Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras. They worship Janārddana in the form of Brahmā, in the Kusa-dwipa according to the rites laid down in the Sastras for the protection of their kingdom and setting aside actions which lead to temporal rewards. There are seven mountain ranges (in this island) namely: Bidruma, Hemasaila, Dyutimat, Pushpavan, Kusheshaya, Havi Mandarachala, O great Muni. There are seven rivers—the names of which I shall relate in order, do thou hear them. They are Dhutapapa, Siva, Pavitra, Sanmati, Bidyudambha and Mahi. They all remove sins. Besides there are thousands of small rivers and mountains. There is a huge clump of Kusa-grass and the island is named after that. It is girt by the Ghrita sea (the ocean of butter) of the same dimension as this insular continent.
The sea of Ghrita is encircled by Krauncha-dwipa which is twice as large as Kusa-dwipa. Dyutiman was the sovereign of this island. The high-souled king named the seven varshas after his seven sons. They were Kusala, Mallaga, Ushna, Pivara, Andhakaraka, Muni and Dundhuvi, O Muni. There are seven boundary mountains highly picturesque and resorted to by the celestials and Gandharvas, O thou of great understanding; do thou hear their names from me. They are Krauncha, Vamana, Andhakaraka, Devavrita, Pundjirikavan, Dundhuvi, and Mahasaila—each of which is double the preceding one in height as each dwipa is twice as extensive as the one before it. In these charming mountains, people reside, freed from fear, along with the celestials. In this island, O great Muni, the Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaiçyas and Sudras are respectively called Pushkara, Pushkala, Dhanya and Tishpa. Do thou, O Maitreya, hear the names of the rivers, the waters whereof are drunk by those men. There are seven principal rivers and hundreds of small rivers. The seven principal rivers are Gauri, Kumudvati, Sandhyā, Ratri, Mānojavā, Kshānti and Pundarikā.