The Forests and Mountains of Meru, and Bharata-varsha

Verse 1 (markandeya.55.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच शैलेषु मन्दाराद्येषु चतुर्ष्वपि द्विजोत्तम । वाननि यानि चत्वारि सरांसि च निबोध मे ॥ 55.1 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca śaileṣu mandārādyeṣu caturṣvapi dvijottama vānani yāni catvāri sarāṁsi ca nibodha me

Markandeya said: O best of the twice-born, learn from me of the four forests and the four lakes that lie upon the four mountains beginning with Mandara.

Verse 2 (markandeya.55.2)

पूर्वं चैत्ररथं नाम दक्षिणे नन्दनं वनम् । वैभ्राजं पश्चिमे शैले सावित्रं चोत्तराचले ॥ 55.2 ॥

pūrvaṁ caitrarathaṁ nāma dakṣiṇe nandanaṁ vanam vaibhrājaṁ paścime śaile sāvitraṁ cottarācale

To the east is the forest named Chaitraratha; to the south, the forest Nandana; on the western mountain, Vaibhraja; and on the northern mountain, Savitra.

Verse 3 (markandeya.55.3)

अरुणोदं सरः पूर्वं मानसं दक्षिणे तथा । शीतोदं पश्चिमे मेरोर्महाभद्रं तथोत्तरे ॥ 55.3 ॥

aruṇodaṁ saraḥ pūrvaṁ mānasaṁ dakṣiṇe tathā śītodaṁ paścime merormahābhadraṁ tathottare

The lake Arunoda is to the east; likewise Manasa to the south; Sitoda to the west of Meru; and Mahabhadra to the north.

Verse 4 (markandeya.55.4)

शीतार्तश्चक्रमुञ्जश्च कुलीरोऽथ सुकङ्कवान् । मणिशैलोऽथ वृषवान् महानीलो भवाचलः ॥ 55.4 ॥

śītārtaścakramuñjaśca kulīro'tha sukaṅkavān maṇiśailo'tha vṛṣavān mahānīlo bhavācalaḥ

Shitartha, Chakramunja, Kulira, and Sukankavan, Manishaila, and Vrishavan, Mahanila, Bhavachala —

Verse 5 (markandeya.55.5)

सूबिन्दुर्मन्दरो वेणुस्तामसो निषधस्तथा । देवशैलश्च पूर्वेण मन्दरस्य महाचलः ॥ 55.5 ॥

sūbindurmandaro veṇustāmaso niṣadhastathā devaśailaśca pūrveṇa mandarasya mahācalaḥ

Subindu, Mandara, Venu, Tamasa, and likewise Nishadha, and Devashaila — the great mountain lying east of Mandara.

Verse 6 (markandeya.55.6)

त्रिकटशिखराद्रिश्च कलिङ्गोऽथ पतङ्गकः । रुचकः सानुमांश्चाद्रिस्ताम्रकोऽथ विशाखवान् ॥ 55.6 ॥

trikaṭaśikharādriśca kaliṅgo'tha pataṅgakaḥ rucakaḥ sānumāṁścādristāmrako'tha viśākhavān

Trikatashikharadri, and Kalinga, and Patangaka, Rucaka, Sanumat, and the mountain Tamraka, and Vishakhavan —

Verse 7 (markandeya.55.7)

श्वेतोदरः समूलश्च वसुधारश्च रत्नवान् । एकशृङ्गो महाशैलो राजशालः पिपाठकः ॥ 55.7 ॥

śvetodaraḥ samūlaśca vasudhāraśca ratnavān ekaśṛṅgo mahāśailo rājaśālaḥ pipāṭhakaḥ

Shvetodara, and Samula, and Vasudhara rich in gems, the great mountain Ekashringa, Rajashala, Pipathaka —

Verse 8 (markandeya.55.8)

पञ्चशैलोऽथ कैलासो हिमवांश्चाचलोत्तमः । इत्येते दक्षिणे पार्श्वे मेरोः प्रोक्ता महाचलाः ॥ 55.8 ॥

pañcaśailo'tha kailāso himavāṁścācalottamaḥ ityete dakṣiṇe pārśve meroḥ proktā mahācalāḥ

Pancashaila, and Kailasa, and Himavan, best of mountains — these are declared to be the great mountains on the southern side of Meru.

Verse 9 (markandeya.55.9)

सुरक्षः शिशिराक्षश्च वैदुर्यः कपिलस्तथा । पिञ्जरोऽथ महाभद्रः सुरसः पिङ्गलो मधुः ॥ 55.9 ॥

surakṣaḥ śiśirākṣaśca vaiduryaḥ kapilastathā piñjaro'tha mahābhadraḥ surasaḥ piṅgalo madhuḥ

Suraksha, and Shishiraksha, Vaidurya, and likewise Kapila, Pinjara, and Mahabhadra, Surasa, Pingala, Madhu —

Verse 10 (markandeya.55.10)

अञ्जनः कुक्कुटः कृष्णः पाण्डरश्चालोत्तमः । सहस्रशिखरश्चाद्रिः पारियात्रः सशृङ्गवान् ॥ 55.10 ॥

añjanaḥ kukkuṭaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pāṇḍaraścālottamaḥ sahasraśikharaścādriḥ pāriyātraḥ saśṛṅgavān

Anjana, Kukkuta, Krishna, Pandara, and Chalottama, the mountain of a thousand peaks, and Pariyatra with its many ridges —

Verse 11 (markandeya.55.11)

पश्चिमेन तथा मेरोर्विस्कम्भात् पश्चिमाद्वहिः । एतेऽचलाः समाख्याताः शृणुष्वन्यांस्तथोत्तरान् ॥ 55.11 ॥

paścimena tathā merorviskambhāt paścimādvahiḥ ete'calāḥ samākhyātāḥ śṛṇuṣvanyāṁstathottarān

these lie to the west, beyond Meru's western buttress-range. Thus have these mountains been named; now hear of the other mountains, to the north.

Verse 12 (markandeya.55.12)

शङ्खकूटोऽथ वृषभो हंसनाभस्तथाचलः । कपिलेन्द्रस्तथा शैलः सानुमान् नील एव च ॥ 55.12 ॥

śaṅkhakūṭo'tha vṛṣabho haṁsanābhastathācalaḥ kapilendrastathā śailaḥ sānumān nīla eva ca

Shankhakuta, and Vrishabha, and the mountain Hamsanabha, likewise the mountain Kapilendra, Sanumat, and Nila as well —

Verse 13 (markandeya.55.13)

स्वर्णशृङ्गी शातशृङ्गी पुष्पको मेघपर्वतः । विरजाक्षो वराहाद्रिर्मयूरो जारुधिस्तथा ॥ 55.13 ॥

svarṇaśṛṅgī śātaśṛṅgī puṣpako meghaparvataḥ virajākṣo varāhādrirmayūro jārudhistathā

Svarnashringi, Shatashringi, Pushpaka, Meghaparvata, Virajaksha, Varahadri, Mayura, and Jarudhi —

Verse 14 (markandeya.55.14)

इत्येते कथिता ब्रह्मन् ! मेरोरुत्तरतो नगाः । एतेषां पर्वतानान्तु द्रौण्योऽतीव मनोहराः ॥ 55.14 ॥

ityete kathitā brahman ! meroruttarato nagāḥ eteṣāṁ parvatānāntu drauṇyo'tīva manoharāḥ

these, O brahmin, are declared to be the mountains lying to the north of Meru. Between these mountains are valleys of the utmost beauty,

Verse 15 (markandeya.55.15)

वनैरमलपानीयैः सरोभिरुपशोभिताः । तासु पुण्यकृतां जन्म मनुष्याणां द्विजोत्तम ॥ 55.15 ॥

vanairamalapānīyaiḥ sarobhirupaśobhitāḥ tāsu puṇyakṛtāṁ janma manuṣyāṇāṁ dvijottama

adorned with forests of pure water and with lakes; in them, O best of the twice-born, are born men of meritorious deeds.

Verse 16 (markandeya.55.16)

एते भौमा द्विजश्रेष्ठ ! स्वर्गाः स्वर्गगुणाधिकाः । न तासु पुण्यपापानामपूर्वाणामुपार्जनम् ॥ 55.16 ॥

ete bhaumā dvijaśreṣṭha ! svargāḥ svargaguṇādhikāḥ na tāsu puṇyapāpānāmapūrvāṇāmupārjanam

These, O best of the twice-born, are earthly heavens, surpassing even heaven's own qualities; in them there is no earning of new merit or sin —

Verse 17 (markandeya.55.17)

पुण्योपभोगा एवोक्ता देवानामपि तास्वपि । शीतान्ताद्येषु चैतषु शैलेषु द्विजसत्तम ॥ 55.17 ॥

puṇyopabhogā evoktā devānāmapi tāsvapi śītāntādyeṣu caitaṣu śaileṣu dvijasattama

only the enjoyment of merit already earned, even for the gods, is spoken of in those places. In these mountains beginning with the Shita ranges, O best of the twice-born,

Verse 18 (markandeya.55.18)

विद्याधराणां यक्षाणां किन्नरोरगरक्षसाम् । देवानाञ्च महावासा गन्धर्वाणां च शोभनाः ॥ 55.18 ॥

vidyādharāṇāṁ yakṣāṇāṁ kinnaroragarakṣasām devānāñca mahāvāsā gandharvāṇāṁ ca śobhanāḥ

are the great and beautiful abodes of the Vidyadharas, the Yakshas, the Kinnaras, the serpent-folk and the Rakshasas, and of the gods and Gandharvas too,

Verse 19 (markandeya.55.19)

महापुण्या मनोज्ञैश्च सदैवोपवनैर्युताः । सरांसि च मनोज्ञानि सर्वर्तुसुखदोऽनिलः ॥ 55.19 ॥

mahāpuṇyā manojñaiśca sadaivopavanairyutāḥ sarāṁsi ca manojñāni sarvartusukhado'nilaḥ

most meritorious, and ever accompanied by delightful groves; and lovely lakes, and a breeze that brings comfort in every season.

Verse 20 (markandeya.55.20)

न चैतेषु मनुष्याणां वैमनस्यानि कुत्रचित् । तदेवं पार्थिवं पद्मं चतुष्पत्रं मयोदितम् ॥ 55.20 ॥

na caiteṣu manuṣyāṇāṁ vaimanasyāni kutracit tadevaṁ pārthivaṁ padmaṁ catuṣpatraṁ mayoditam

In these places, men never suffer any discontent. Thus has this earthly lotus of four petals been described by me —

Verse 21 (markandeya.55.21)

भद्राश्चभारताद्यानि पत्राण्यस्य चतुर्दिशम् । भारतं नाम यद्वर्षं दक्षिणेन मयोदितम् ॥ 55.21 ॥

bhadrāścabhāratādyāni patrāṇyasya caturdiśam bhārataṁ nāma yadvarṣaṁ dakṣiṇena mayoditam

Bhadrashva, Bharata, and the rest are its petals in the four directions. That region named Bharata, which I have described as lying to the south —

Verse 22 (markandeya.55.22)

तत् कर्मभूमिर्नान्यत्र संप्राप्तिः पुण्यपापयोः । एतत् प्रधानं विज्ञेयं यत्र सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ 55.22 ॥

tat karmabhūmirnānyatra saṁprāptiḥ puṇyapāpayoḥ etat pradhānaṁ vijñeyaṁ yatra sarvaṁ pratiṣṭhitam

that alone is the land of action (karma-bhumi); nowhere else does the earning of merit and sin occur in this way. This should be known as the principal region, on which everything else rests.

Verse 23 (markandeya.55.23)

तस्मात् स्वर्गापवर्गौ च मानुष्यनारकावपि । तिर्यक्त्वमथवाप्यन्यत् नरः प्राप्नोति वै द्विज ॥ 55.23 ॥

tasmāt svargāpavargau ca mānuṣyanārakāvapi tiryaktvamathavāpyanyat naraḥ prāpnoti vai dvija

Therefore, O twice-born, it is from there that a man attains heaven and liberation, and likewise a human or a hellish birth, or animal existence, or whatever other destiny.