SECTION III.Parāçara said:—The country that is situate on the ocean and south of the Himālya is called Bhārata where reside the descendants of Bharata. The extent of this land is nine thousandyojanas, and is the field of action, on account of which men go to heaven or obtain final emancipation. The seven principal mountain ranges in Bhārata are Māhendra, Malaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pāripātra. From this land people attain to heaven or final emancipation or some hence, O Muni, fall into hell or pass into the condition of brutes. From here people obtain heaven, liberation, or the state in mid-air, or the state in the regions under the earth for no other portion of world is the arena of actions.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 thousandyojanasin 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 thousandyojanasand which is girt, as if by a bracelet, by the ocean of salt water which is similar in dimensions.
SECTION III.Parāçara said:—The country that is situate on the ocean and south of the Himālya is called Bhārata where reside the descendants of Bharata. The extent of this land is nine thousandyojanas, and is the field of action, on account of which men go to heaven or obtain final emancipation. The seven principal mountain ranges in Bhārata are Māhendra, Malaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pāripātra. From this land people attain to heaven or final emancipation or some hence, O Muni, fall into hell or pass into the condition of brutes. From here people obtain heaven, liberation, or the state in mid-air, or the state in the regions under the earth for no other portion of world is the arena of actions.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 thousandyojanasin 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 thousandyojanasand which is girt, as if by a bracelet, by the ocean of salt water which is similar in dimensions.
SECTION III.Parāçara said:—The country that is situate on the ocean and south of the Himālya is called Bhārata where reside the descendants of Bharata. The extent of this land is nine thousandyojanas, and is the field of action, on account of which men go to heaven or obtain final emancipation. The seven principal mountain ranges in Bhārata are Māhendra, Malaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pāripātra. From this land people attain to heaven or final emancipation or some hence, O Muni, fall into hell or pass into the condition of brutes. From here people obtain heaven, liberation, or the state in mid-air, or the state in the regions under the earth for no other portion of world is the arena of actions.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 thousandyojanasin 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 thousandyojanasand which is girt, as if by a bracelet, by the ocean of salt water which is similar in dimensions.
Parāçara said:—The country that is situate on the ocean and south of the Himālya is called Bhārata where reside the descendants of Bharata. The extent of this land is nine thousandyojanas, and is the field of action, on account of which men go to heaven or obtain final emancipation. The seven principal mountain ranges in Bhārata are Māhendra, Malaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Pāripātra. From this land people attain to heaven or final emancipation or some hence, O Muni, fall into hell or pass into the condition of brutes. From here people obtain heaven, liberation, or the state in mid-air, or the state in the regions under the earth for no other portion of world is the arena of actions.
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 thousandyojanasin 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 thousandyojanasand which is girt, as if by a bracelet, by the ocean of salt water which is similar in dimensions.