The Northern Kurus and Bhadrashva

Verse 1 (6.7.1)

मेरोरथोत्तरं पार्श्वं पूर्वं चाचक्ष्व संजय । निखिलेन महाबुद्धे माल्यवन्तं च पर्वतम् ॥

merorathottaraṃ pārśvaṃ pūrvaṃ cācakṣva saṃjaya | nikhilena mahābuddhe mālyavantaṃ ca parvatam

"Now describe to me in full, Sanjaya, wise one, the northern and the eastern side of Meru, and the mountain Malyavat."

Verse 2 (6.7.2)

दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य मेरोः पार्श्वे तथोत्तरे । उत्तराः कुरवो राजन्पुण्याः सिद्धनिषेविताः ॥

dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya meroḥ pārśve tathottare | uttarāḥ kuravo rājanpuṇyāḥ siddhaniṣevitāḥ

South of Nila and on the northern side of Meru, king, lie the holy Northern Kurus, the home of the Siddhas.

Verse 3 (6.7.3)

तत्र वृक्षा मधुफला नित्यपुष्पफलोपगाः । पुष्पाणि च सुगन्धीनि रसवन्ति फलानि च ॥

tatra vṛkṣā madhuphalā nityapuṣpaphalopagāḥ | puṣpāṇi ca sugandhīni rasavanti phalāni ca

The trees there bear sweet fruit and are always laden with flowers and fruit; the flowers are fragrant and the fruits full of juice.

Verse 4 (6.7.4)

सर्वकामफलास्तत्र केचिद्वृक्षा जनाधिप । अपरे क्षीरिणो नाम वृक्षास्तत्र नराधिप ॥

sarvakāmaphalāstatra kecidvṛkṣā janādhipa | apare kṣīriṇo nāma vṛkṣāstatra narādhipa

Some trees there, lord of men, bear fruits that grant every desire; and there are other trees there, king, called kshirins,

Verse 5 (6.7.5)

ये क्षरन्ति सदा क्षीरं षड्रसं चामृतोपमम् । वस्त्राणि च प्रसूयन्ते फलेष्वाभरणानि च ॥

ye kṣaranti sadā kṣīraṃ ṣaḍrasaṃ cāmṛtopamam | vastrāṇi ca prasūyante phaleṣvābharaṇāni ca

which always pour out milk of six flavours, like nectar; and from their fruits come forth garments and ornaments.

Note on the text: Corrected चामृपोतमम् → चामृतोपमम् (misprint in Wikisource; transposed aksharas, critical edition amṛtopamam).

Verse 6 (6.7.6)

सर्वा मणिमयी भूमिः सूक्ष्मकाञ्चनवालुका । सर्वर्तुसुखसंस्पर्शा निष्पङ्का च जनाधिप । पुष्करिण्यः शुभास्तत्र सुखस्पर्शा मनोरमाः ॥

sarvā maṇimayī bhūmiḥ sūkṣmakāñcanavālukā | sarvartusukhasaṃsparśā niṣpaṅkā ca janādhipa | puṣkariṇyaḥ śubhāstatra sukhasparśā manoramāḥ

The whole ground is made of gems, with fine golden sand; it is pleasant to the touch in every season and free of mud, lord of men. There are lovely lotus pools, pleasant to the touch and delightful.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 6.8.6 (reading sarvatra for सर्वर्तु-); line 3 is its star passage 6.8.6d*0036. Corrected पुष्करिष्यः → पुष्करिण्यः (misprint in Wikisource; ष for ण, critical edition puṣkariṇyaḥ).

Verse 7 (6.7.7)

देवलोकच्युताः सर्वे जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः । शुक्लाभिजनसंपन्नाः सर्वे सुप्रियदर्शनाः ॥

devalokacyutāḥ sarve jāyante tatra mānavāḥ | śuklābhijanasaṃpannāḥ sarve supriyadarśanāḥ

All the people born there have fallen from the world of the gods; they are of pure lineage, and all of them are most lovely to see.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 6.8.7ab; line 2 is not its 6.8.7cd (tulyarūpaguṇopetāḥ sameṣu viṣameṣu ca) but matches 6.9.3ab, a line the critical edition has in the next adhyaya (Wikisource 8.3) for the people of Ramanaka. Corrected शुक्लाभिजनसंयन्नाः → शुक्लाभिजनसंपन्नाः (misprint in Wikisource; य for प; Wikisource 8.3 prints the same line with संपन्नाः).

Verse 8 (6.7.8)

मिथुनानि च जायन्ते स्त्रियश्चाप्सरसोपमाः । तेषां ते क्षीरिणां क्षीरं पिबन्त्यमृतसन्निभम् ॥

mithunāni ca jāyante striyaścāpsarasopamāḥ | teṣāṃ te kṣīriṇāṃ kṣīraṃ pibantyamṛtasannibham

They are born as couples, and the women are like Apsarases. They drink the milk of those kshirin trees, which is like nectar.

Verse 9 (6.7.9)

मिथुनं जायते काले समं तच्च प्रवर्धते । तुल्यरूपगुणोपेतं समवेषं तथैव च ॥

mithunaṃ jāyate kāle samaṃ tacca pravardhate | tulyarūpaguṇopetaṃ samaveṣaṃ tathaiva ca

Each couple is born at the same time and grows up together, alike in beauty and in virtues, and alike in dress,

Note on the text: The critical edition's 6.8.9ab–cd (reading jāyamānaṃ vai for जायते काले). Corrected तुल्यरूगुणोपेतं → तुल्यरूपगुणोपेतं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped प, critical edition tulyarūpaguṇopetaṃ).

Verse 10 (6.7.10)

एवमेवानुरूपं च चक्रवाकसमं विभो । निरामयास्ते लोका नित्यं मुदितमानसाः ॥

evamevānurūpaṃ ca cakravākasamaṃ vibho | nirāmayāste lokā nityaṃ muditamānasāḥ

each matched to the other in just this way, like a pair of chakravaka birds, lord. Those people are free of sickness and always glad at heart.

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition's 6.8.9ef in a different reading (ekaikam anuraktaṃ ca); line 2 to 6.8.10ab (nirāmayā vītaśokā). Corrected निरापगाम ते लोका → निरामयास्ते लोका (garbled in Wikisource; निरापगाम is not a word, and the evident word is निरामयाः, 'free of sickness', as in the critical edition). The corrected quarter is one syllable short; the exact vulgate wording cannot be recovered from the sources at hand.

Verse 11 (6.7.11)

दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च । जीवन्ति ते महाराज न चान्योन्यं जहत्युत ॥

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi daśavarṣaśatāni ca | jīvanti te mahārāja na cānyonyaṃ jahatyuta

They live ten thousand years and ten hundred years more, great king, and never forsake one another.

Note on the text: The critical edition's 6.8.10cd–ef. Corrected शशवर्षशतानि → दशवर्षशतानि (misprint in Wikisource; श for द, critical edition daśa varṣaśatāni).

Verse 12 (6.7.12)

भारुण्डा नाम शकुनास्तीक्ष्णतुण्डा महाबलाः । तान्निर्हरन्तीह मृतान्दरीषु प्रक्षिपन्ति च ॥

bhāruṇḍā nāma śakunāstīkṣṇatuṇḍā mahābalāḥ | tānnirharantīha mṛtāndarīṣu prakṣipanti ca

Birds called Bharundas, sharp-beaked and very strong, carry away the dead from here and cast them into caves.

Verse 13 (6.7.13)

उत्तराः कुरवो राजन्व्याख्यातास्ते समासतः । मेरोः पार्श्वमहं पूर्वं वक्ष्याम्यथ यथातथम् ॥

uttarāḥ kuravo rājanvyākhyātāste samāsataḥ | meroḥ pārśvamahaṃ pūrvaṃ vakṣyāmyatha yathātatham

I have described the Northern Kurus to you briefly, king. Now I shall tell you truly of the eastern side of Meru.

Verse 14 (6.7.14)

तस्य मूर्धाभिषेकस्तु भद्राश्वस्य विशांपते । भद्रसालवनं यत्र कालाम्रश्च महाद्रुमः ॥

tasya mūrdhābhiṣekastu bhadrāśvasya viśāṃpate | bhadrasālavanaṃ yatra kālāmraśca mahādrumaḥ

The crowning glory of Bhadrashva, lord of the people, is the Bhadrasala forest, where the great tree Kalamra stands.

Verse 15 (6.7.15)

कालाम्रस्तु महाराज नित्यपुष्पफलः शुभः । द्रुमश्च योजनोत्सेधः सिद्धचारणसेवितः ॥

kālāmrastu mahārāja nityapuṣpaphalaḥ śubhaḥ | drumaśca yojanotsedhaḥ siddhacāraṇasevitaḥ

That Kalamra, great king, is auspicious and always in flower and fruit; the tree is a yojana high and is frequented by Siddhas and Charanas.

Verse 16 (6.7.16)

तत्र ते पुरुषाः श्वेतास्तेजोयुक्ता महाबलाः । स्त्रियः कुमुदवर्णाश्च सुन्दर्यः प्रियदर्शनाः ॥

tatra te puruṣāḥ śvetāstejoyuktā mahābalāḥ | striyaḥ kumudavarṇāśca sundaryaḥ priyadarśanāḥ

The men there are fair, full of vigour and very strong; the women are the colour of white lotuses, beautiful and lovely to see.

Verse 17 (6.7.17)

चन्द्रप्रभाश्चन्द्रवर्णाः पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाः । चन्द्रशीतलगात्र्यश्च नृत्तगीतविशारदाः ॥

candraprabhāścandravarṇāḥ pūrṇacandranibhānanāḥ | candraśītalagātryaśca nṛttagītaviśāradāḥ

They have the radiance and the colour of the moon, faces like the full moon and limbs cool as the moon, and they are skilled in dance and song.

Note on the text: Corrected पूर्वचन्द्रनिभाननाः → पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाः (misprint in Wikisource; व for ण, critical edition pūrṇacandra-) and नृत्तिगीत- → नृत्तगीत- (misprint; stray i-sign, critical edition nṛttagīta-).

Verse 18 (6.7.18)

दशवर्षसहस्राणि तत्रायुर्भरतर्षभ । कालाम्ररसपीतास्ते नित्यं संस्थितयौवनाः ॥

daśavarṣasahasrāṇi tatrāyurbharatarṣabha | kālāmrarasapītāste nityaṃ saṃsthitayauvanāḥ

Life there lasts ten thousand years, best of the Bharatas; drinking the juice of the Kalamra, they keep their youth for ever.

Verse 19 (6.7.19)

दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य निषधस्योत्तरेण तु । सुदर्शनो नाम महाञ्जम्बूवृक्षः सनातनः ॥

dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya niṣadhasyottareṇa tu | sudarśano nāma mahāñjambūvṛkṣaḥ sanātanaḥ

South of Nila and north of Nishadha stands the great, eternal jambu tree named Sudarshana.

Verse 20 (6.7.20)

सर्वकामफलः पुण्यः सिद्धचारणसेवितः । तस्य नाम्ना समाख्यातो जम्बूद्वीपः सनातनः ॥

sarvakāmaphalaḥ puṇyaḥ siddhacāraṇasevitaḥ | tasya nāmnā samākhyāto jambūdvīpaḥ sanātanaḥ

It is holy, its fruits grant every desire, and Siddhas and Charanas resort to it. The eternal Jambudvipa is named after it.

Verse 21 (6.7.21)

योजनानां सहस्रं च शतं च भरतर्षभ । उत्सेधो वृक्षराजस्य दिवस्पृङ्मनुजेश्वर ॥

yojanānāṃ sahasraṃ ca śataṃ ca bharatarṣabha | utsedho vṛkṣarājasya divaspṛṅmanujeśvara

The height of that king of trees, best of the Bharatas, is a thousand and a hundred yojanas; it touches the sky, lord of men.

Note on the text: Corrected सहस्त्रं → सहस्रं (misprint in Wikisource; intrusive त) and दिवस्पृङ्भनुजेश्वर → दिवस्पृङ्मनुजेश्वर (misprint; भ for म, critical edition divaspṛṅ manujeśvara).

Verse 22 (6.7.22)

अरत्नीनां सहस्रं च शतानि दश पञ्च च । परिणाहस्तु वृक्षस्य फलानां रसभेदिनाम् ॥

aratnīnāṃ sahasraṃ ca śatāni daśa pañca ca | pariṇāhastu vṛkṣasya phalānāṃ rasabhedinām

The girth of the tree's fruits, which burst with juice, is a thousand aratnis and fifteen hundred more.

Verse 23 (6.7.23)

पतमानानि तान्युर्व्यां कुर्वन्ति विपुलं स्वनम् । मुञ्चन्ति च रसं राजंस्तस्मिन्रजतसन्निभम् ॥

patamānāni tānyurvyāṃ kurvanti vipulaṃ svanam | muñcanti ca rasaṃ rājaṃstasminrajatasannibham

As they fall to the earth they make a great sound, and there, king, they pour out a juice that looks like silver.

Note on the text: Corrected तान्युर्वी → तान्युर्व्यां (misprint in Wikisource; the sense needs the locative 'on the earth', critical edition tāny urvyāṃ).

Verse 24 (6.7.24)

तस्या जम्ब्वाः फलरसो नदी भूत्वा जनाधिप । मेरुं प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा संप्रयात्युत्तरान्कुरून् ॥

tasyā jambvāḥ phalaraso nadī bhūtvā janādhipa | meruṃ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā saṃprayātyuttarānkurūn

The juice of the fruit of that jambu becomes a river, lord of men, and, circling Meru with it on the right, flows on to the Northern Kurus.

Note on the text: Corrected जम्बाः → जम्ब्वाः (misprint in Wikisource; genitive of जम्बू, critical edition jambvāḥ).

Verse 25 (6.7.25)

तत्र तेषां मनःशान्तिर्न पिपासा जनाधिप । तस्मिन्फलरसे पीते न जरा बाधते च तान् ॥

tatra teṣāṃ manaḥśāntirna pipāsā janādhipa | tasminphalarase pīte na jarā bādhate ca tān

There they have peace of mind and know no thirst, lord of men; once they have drunk that fruit-juice, old age does not afflict them.

Note on the text: Line 1 is not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension; the critical edition's 6.8.24ab reads pibanti tad rasaṃ hṛṣṭā janā nityaṃ janādhipa); line 2 is 6.8.24cd.

Verse 26 (6.7.26)

तत्र जाम्बूनदं नाम कनकं देवभूषणम् । इन्द्रगोपकसंकाशं जायते भास्वरं तु तत् ॥

tatra jāmbūnadaṃ nāma kanakaṃ devabhūṣaṇam | indragopakasaṃkāśaṃ jāyate bhāsvaraṃ tu tat

There is found the gold called Jambunada, the ornament of the gods, red as the indragopa insect and gleaming.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 6.8.25ab; line 2 is its star passage 6.8.25b*0039.

Verse 27 (6.7.27)

तरुणादित्यवर्णाश्च जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः । तथा माल्यवतः शृङ्गे दृश्यते हव्यवाट् सदा ॥

taruṇādityavarṇāśca jāyante tatra mānavāḥ | tathā mālyavataḥ śṛṅge dṛśyate havyavāṭ sadā

The people born there have the colour of the newly risen sun. And on the peak of Malyavat the fire, bearer of oblations, is always seen:

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 6.8.25cd; line 2 is 6.8.26ab (reading dīpyate tatra havyavāṭ for दृश्यते हव्यवाट् सदा). Corrected श्रृङ्गे → शृङ्गे (misprint in Wikisource; श्रृ for शृ).

Verse 28 (6.7.28)

नाम्ना संवर्तको नाम कालाग्निर्भरतर्षभ । तथा माल्यवतः शृङ्गे पूर्वपूर्वानुगण्डिका ॥

nāmnā saṃvartako nāma kālāgnirbharatarṣabha | tathā mālyavataḥ śṛṅge pūrvapūrvānugaṇḍikā

the fire of the world's end, named Samvartaka, best of the Bharatas. Also on the peak of Malyavat, toward the east, runs a chain of lesser hills.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 6.8.26cd; line 2 is 6.8.27ab (reading pūrve pūrvāntagaṇḍikā for पूर्वपूर्वानुगण्डिका; the page's commentary explains गण्डिका as a small hill). Corrected श्रृङ्गे → शृङ्गे (misprint in Wikisource; श्रृ for शृ).

Verse 29 (6.7.29)

योजनानां सहस्राणि पञ्चषण्माल्यवानथ । महारजतसंकाशा जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः ॥

yojanānāṃ sahasrāṇi pañcaṣaṇmālyavānatha | mahārajatasaṃkāśā jāyante tatra mānavāḥ

Malyavat extends for eleven thousand yojanas. The people born there are like fine gold;

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 6.8.27cd in a different reading (pañcāśan mālyavān sthitaḥ, 'fifty'; the page's commentary explains पञ्चषट् as five and six, eleven); line 2 is 6.8.28ab.

Verse 30 (6.7.30)

ब्रह्मलोकच्युताः सर्वे सर्वे सर्वेषु साधवः । तपस्तप्यन्ति ते तीव्रं भवन्ति ह्यूर्ध्वरेतसः । रक्षणार्थं तु भूतानां प्रविशन्ते दिवाकरम् ॥

brahmalokacyutāḥ sarve sarve sarveṣu sādhavaḥ | tapastapyanti te tīvraṃ bhavanti hyūrdhvaretasaḥ | rakṣaṇārthaṃ tu bhūtānāṃ praviśante divākaram

they have all fallen from the world of Brahma, and all are good to all. They practise fierce austerities and keep their seed drawn upward in chastity, and for the protection of beings they enter the sun.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 6.8.28cd in a different reading (sarve ca brahmavādinaḥ); lines 2–3 are 6.8.29. Corrected प्रविश्यन्ते → प्रविशन्ते (misprint in Wikisource; the passive form cannot govern दिवाकरम्; the page's own commentary quotes दिवाकरं प्रविशन्ते; critical edition praviśanti).

Verse 31 (6.7.31)

षष्टिस्तानि सहस्राणि षष्टिरेव शतानि च । अरुणस्याग्रतो यान्ति परिवार्य दिवाकरम् ॥

ṣaṣṭistāni sahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭireva śatāni ca | aruṇasyāgrato yānti parivārya divākaram

Sixty thousand of them, and sixty hundred more, go before Aruna, surrounding the sun.

Verse 32 (6.7.32)

षष्टिं वर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिमेव शतानि च । आदित्यतापतप्तास्ते विशन्ति शशिमण्डलम् ॥

ṣaṣṭiṃ varṣasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭimeva śatāni ca | ādityatāpataptāste viśanti śaśimaṇḍalam

For sixty thousand years and sixty hundred more, scorched by the heat of the sun, they then enter the orb of the moon.