Śrīmad Devi Bhāgavatam | Book 8 Chapter 13

THE EIGHTH BOOK

Chapter XIII

On the description of the remaining Dvīpas

1. Nārada said: Thou, the Knower of everything! Describe about the remaining Dvīpas, knowing which we will be highly delighted.

2-36. Nārāyaṇa spoke thus:

The very vast Ghrita Sāgara (the ocean of clarified butter) is encircling the Kuśa Dvīpa.

Next to it is the Krauncha Dvīpa. It is twice as large as Kuśa. The Kṣīra Sāgara (the ocean of milk) is surrounding this Dvīpa. The Krauncha mountain is standing here. The name of this Dvīpa is derived from this mountain.

In days gone by, the highly intelligent Kārtikeya burst this mountain by his own prowess. This Dvīpa is washed by the Kṣīra Sāgara; and Varuṇa is its Regent. The son of Priyavrata, Ghritapriṣṭha, respected by all and whose prosperity knows no end, is the Lord of this Dvīpa.

He divided this Dvīpa into the seven parts and distributed them to his sons and named the Varṣas after the names of his sons. He made his sons the rulers of those places and he himself took the refuge of the Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa

The names of the seven Varṣas are respectively:

Āma, Madhuruha, Meghapriṣṭha, Sudhāmaka, Bhrājiṣṭha, Lohitārṇa, and Vanaspati.

O Nārada! The seven mountains and the rivers there are very celebrated throughout the worlds.

The names of the mountains are:

Śūkla, Vardhamāna, Bhojana, Upavarhaṇa, Nanda, Nandana, and Sarvatobhadra.

The names of the rivers are:

Abhayā, Amritaughā, Āryakā, Tīrthavatī, Vrittirūpavatī, Śuklā, and Pavitravatikā.

The inhabitants there drink the highly pure water of these rivers.

The people there are divided into four colours:

Puruṣa, Riṣabha, Draviṇa, and Vedaka and they worship the Bhagavān Varuṇa, of the form of water.

Then they become very discriminative, and, with great devotion, and holding full within their folded palms the water, repeat the following mantra:

“O Water! Thou art the essence Vīrya of the Person Bhagavān and Thou sanctifiest the Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, and Svarloka. Thou destroyest the sins of all. We all are feeling it; purify our bodies.”

After finishing their mantrams, they sing various hymns to Varuṇa.

Next to the Kṣīroda Sāgara, is the Śaka Dvīpa, thirty two lakh yojanas wide, surrounded by the Dadhi Sāgara (the ocean of curds), of similar dimensions. Here the most excellent tree named the Śaka tree exists.

O Nārada! The Dvīpa is named so after the tree. Medhātithi, the son of Priyavrata is the Lord of this Dvīpa. He divided this land into the seven Varṣas and distributed each to his seven sons respectively; and ultimately he took refuge to the path of Yoga.

The names of the seven Varṣas are:

Purojava, Manojava, Pavamānaka, Dhūmrānīka, Chitrarepha, Bahurūpa, and Viśvadhrik.

In these Varṣas there are seven mountains, one in each Varṣā, as forming their boundaries; and there are seven rivers also.

The names of the mountains are:

Īśana, Ūruśriṇga, Valabhadra, Śata Keśara, Sahasra-srotaka, Devapāla, and Mahāsana;

the names of the rivers are:

Anaghā, Āyurdā, Ubhayaspriṣṭi, Aparājitā, Pañchapadī, and Sahasraśruti and Nijadhriti.

These seven rivers are all very big and resplendent with lustre.

The people are divided into four classes: Satyavrata, Kratuvrata, Dānavrata, and Aṇuvrata.

They all practice Prāṇāyāma exercises and thereby bring the Rājas, and Tamo Guṇa under their control and they worship Hari, of the nature of Prāṇa Vāyu, Higher than the Highest.

Their mantra is this:

“He has entered into all the living beings and nourishes them by the Prāṇa and other faculties; He is the Internal Ruler of all and the Supreme Controller; this Universe is under His control; let Him protect and nourish us.”

O Nārada! Next to this Dadhi Sāgara is Puṣkara Dvīpa; it is twice as large as Śaka Dvīpa. It is surrounded by the Dudha Sāgar (the ocean of milk) all twice as large.

The leaves of Puṣkara tree that shines in the Puṣkara Dvīpa are fiery like golden flames; they are as clean and pure. Crores and crores of leaves, golden in colour ornament have this Tree.

Vāsudeva, the Guru of all the Lokas, has created this Puṣkara Dvīpa as the seat of Parameṣṭhī Brahmā, possessed of six extraordinary powers, for the purpose of creation.

There is one mountain in this Dvīpa; it is divided into two parts, named Arvāchīna and Parāchīna. These form the boundaries of the two Varṣas. The mountain is one Ayuta Yojana high and one Ayuta Yojana wide.

There are four cities on the four sides. Indra and the three other Lokapālas are the lords of these cities.

The Sun God comes out from their top and circumambulating Meru, goes there again. The whole year is his Chakra, circle of circuit; His path is Uttrāyaṇam and Dakṣiṇāyaṇam.

Vītihotra, the son of Priyavrata is the lord of this island. He distributed the two Varṣas amongst his two sons, Ramaṇa and Dhātakī. They rule over the two Varṣas named also after them.

Like the inhabitants of the above Varṣas, the people also get powers of themselves and worship devotedly the God seated on the lotus and follow the path of Yoga which leads them to the Brahmā Sālokyā, etc.

Their mantra is:

“We bow down to that One God, without a Second, of the nature of Peace, Who is the Fruit of all the Karmas, Who is the seat of illumination of Brahmā, Who is established in Unity, and Who is worshipped by all the Lokas.”

Here ends the Thirteenth Chapter of the Eighth Book on the description of the remaining Dvīpas in the Mahāpurāṇam Śrīmad Devī Bhāgavatam, of 18,000 verses, by Mahāṛṣi Veda Vyāsa.