The Markandeya Purana

by Bibek Debroy

  Chapter 50

  ‘Kroushtuki asked, “O illustrious one! You have spoken to me about Svayambhuva manvantara. I wish to hear everything about it in detail. Tell me. What was the duration of the manvantara? Who were the gods and the divine rishis? O illustrious one! Who were the lords of the earth! Who was the Indra of the gods?”

  ‘Markandeya replied, “The duration of a manvantara is a little over seventy-one mahayugas. Hear about the duration of a manvantara in human years. The duration of a manvantara is thirty crores, sixty-seven lakhs and twenty thousand human years, without adding the small bit that is more. In divine years, it is eight hundred thousand and fifty-two thousand years. The first Manu was Svayambhuva, the next was Svarochisha. Outtama, Tamasa, Raivata and Chakshusha followed. These six Manus have passed. The present Manu is Vaivasvata. The seven future Manus are the five Savarnis, 606 Rouchya and Bhoutya. When I describe the manvantaras, I will again tell you about them in detail. I will tell you about the gods, the rishis, the Indras among the gods and the ancestors. O brahmana! You will hear about the origin, duration, offspring, wives and sons of these great-souled ones. Svayambhuva had ten sons who were just like him. They populated the entire earth, with its seven dvipas and varshas, with the mountains, oceans and mines. In the treta yuga that was the first of the Svayambhuva manvantara, the earth was inhabited by the sons of Priyavrata and the grandsons of Svayambhuva. 607 Through Prajavati, the valiant Priyavrata had an immensely fortunate daughter. Through Kardama Prajapati, she gave birth to two daughters, known as Samrat and Kukshi, and ten sons. These ten brave brothers were Prajapati’s equal. They were Agnidhra, Medhatithi, Vapushmat, Jyotishmat, Dyutimat, Bhavya and Savana as the seventh. Three immensely fortunate ones, Medha, Agnibahu and Bahumitra, remembered their past lives. They were not interested in kingdoms and devoted themselves to yoga. Following dharma, Priyavrata instated the other seven as seven kings over the seven dvipas. Listen to me. Their father made Agnidhra the king of Jambu-dvipa, Medhatithi the king of Plaksha-dvipa, Vapushmat the king of Shalmali-dvipa, Jyotishmat the king of Kusha-dvipa, Dyutimat the king of Krouncha-dvipa, Bhavya the lord of Shaka-dvipa and Savana the lord of Pushkara-dvipa. Savana, the lord of Pushkara-dvipa, had two sons, Mahavita and Dhataki. He divided Pushkara-dvipa into two parts and made the sons kings in these separate parts. Bhavya had seven sons. Listen to their names—Jalada, Kumara, Sukumara, Manivaka, Kushottara, Medhavi and Mahadruma as the seventh. He made each of them the king of one part of Shaka-dvipa. Listen to me. In that way, Dyutimat had seven sons. Their names were Kushala, Manuga, Ushna, Prakara, Arthakaraka, Muni and Dundubhi. Krouncha-dvipa was divided among them and those regions were named after them. In that way, the regions of Kusha-dvipa were named after the sons of Jyotishmat. Hear about their names and the names of those regions. Those seven greatly energetic sons were known as Udbhida, Vainava, Suratha, Lambana, Dhritimat, Prakara and Kapila as the seventh. Vapushmat had seven sons and divided Shalmali-dvipa among them—Shveta, Harita, Jimuta, Rohita, Vaidyuta, Manasa and Ketumat as the seventh. In that way, the seven parts of Shalmali-dvipa were named after them. Medhatithi, the lord of Plaksha-dvipa, had seven sons and the seven parts of Plaksha-dvipa were named after them. The names of these regions were Shakabhava, Shishira, Sukhodaya, Ananda, Shiva, Kshemaka and Dhruva. In five of these dvipas, from Plaksha-dvipa to Shaka-dvipa, it is known that the observance of the varna and ashrama dharma is always natural. There is no violence and no deviation from the ordinances. With the exception of the Himalayas, the region populated by the kimpurushas is an area where there is always happiness, beauty, strength, dharma and long lifespans. 608 In these five regions, it is held that these generally exist.

  ‘“O brahmana! His father first gave Jambu-dvipa to Agnidhra. He had nine sons who were Prajapati’s equal. 609 The eldest one was known as Nabhi and Kimpurusha was his younger brother. Harivarsha was the third and the fourth was Ilavrita. The fifth son was Vashya and the sixth was known as Hiranya. The seventh was Kuru and the eighth was known as Bhadrashva. The ninth was Ketumala and after them, the names of the varshas were decided. 610 With the exception of the Himalayas, in Kimpurusha and the other varshas, success and happiness are generally naturally obtained, without making efforts. There are no calamities. There is no fear from old age or death. There are no notions of dharma and adharma. There is nothing that is superior, middling or inferior. The four yugas do not exist. There is no exhaustion and the seasons do not exist. O brahmana! Nabhi, Agnidhra’s son, had a son known as Rishabha. Rishabha had a valiant son named Bharata and he was the best among his one hundred sons. Rishabha instated this son in the kingdom and resorted to the great vow of retiring to the forest. The immensely fortunate one dwelt in Pulaha’s hermitage and tormented himself through austerities. His father gave Bharata the region that was to the south of the Himalayas. Therefore, after the great-souled one’s name, this is known as Bharatavarsha. Bharata had a son named Sumati, who was devoted to dharma. Bestowing the kingdom on him, Bharata retired to the forest. In Svayambhuva manvantara, his sons and grandsons, and those of Priyavrata’s other sons, enjoyed the earth, divided into the seven dvipas. O supreme among brahmanas! I have thus properly described to you the creation at the time of Svayambhuva manvantara. What else will I speak about?”’

  Chapter 51

  ‘Kroushtuki asked, “O brahmana! How many dvipas, oceans and mountains are there? O sage! How many varshas are there and how many rivers? What are the dimensions of the great elements and of Lokaloka? 611 What are the dimensions of the sun and the moon and their progress and their changes? O great sage! Tell me all this in detail.”

  ‘Markandeya replied, “O brahmana! The entire earth measures fifty crore yojanas. I will describe to you all the places that are in it. Listen. O brahmana! O immensely fortunate one! I have already spoken to you about the dvipas, beginning with Jambu-dvipa and ending with Pushkara-dvipa. Hear about everything in detail again. Jambu-dvipa, Plaksha-dvipa, Shalmali-dvipa, Kusha-dvipa, Krouncha-dvipa, Shaka-dvipa and Pushkara-dvipa—each of these is double the size of the dvipa that precedes it. Each of these is surrounded on all sides by the oceans Lavana, Ikshu, Sura, Sarpi, Dadhi, Kshira and Jala, each ocean double the size of the ocean that precedes it. I will tell you about the location of Jambu-dvipa. Listen. It is circular and the dimension on each side is one hundred thousand yojanas. The seven great mountains of this region are Himalayas, Hemakuta, Nishadha, Meru, Nila, Shveta and Shringi. The two great mountains in the centre 612 are each one hundred thousand yojanas long. There are two mountains to the south and two to the north and each is progressively ten thousand yojanas shorter than the preceding one. 613 All the mountains are two thousand yojanas high and broad. There are six great mountains that are submerged in the ocean. The earth rises up in the middle and slopes downwards to the north and the south. Know that there are three varshas to the north and three to the south. Ilavrita varsha is situated between them, shaped like a half moon. Bhadrashva is to the east of this and Ketumala to the west. The golden mountain, Meru, is in the centre of Ilavrita. The height of this great mountain is eighty-four thousand yojanas. It penetrates sixteen thousand yojanas into the earth and its breadth is sixteen thousand yojanas. Since it is in the shape of an inverted cone, the breadth at the top is thirty-two thousand yojanas. Beginning with east, its complexion is progressively white, yellow, black and red. 614 Beginning with the east, brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras reside in the eight directions and sub-directions. 615 Beginning with the eastern direction, there are the assembly halls of Indra and the other guardians of the world. Brahma’s assembly hall is in the middle, rising up fourteen thousand yojanas. Below it, on four sides, there are four adjacent mountains, each ten thousand yojanas high. Starting in the east, in due order, these are Mandara, Gandhamadana, Vipula and Suparshva. Each possesses a tree that rises up like a standard. A kadamba tree rises up like a standard in Mandara, a jambu tree in Gandhamadana, an ashvattha tree in Vipula and a giant vata tree in Suparshva. 616 E
ach of these mountains stretches for eleven hundred yojanas. The mountains Jathara and Devakuta are on the eastern side and are just next to Nila and Nishadha, without any gap between them. Nishadha 617 and Pariyatra are on the western side of Meru. As in the earlier case, they are just next to Anila and Nishadha. The giant mountains, Kailasa and Himalayas, are to the south. They stretch from the east to the west and extend up to the frontiers of the ocean. The mountains Shringavat and Jarudhi are to the north. In the south, they also extend up to the frontiers of the ocean. O supreme among brahmanas! These eight mountains are spoken of as those which identify boundaries. Between Hemakuta and Himalayas, and between the other mountains, from the east to the west and from the north to the south, there is a distance of nine thousand yojanas. In the centre of Ilavrita, Meru extends on four sides. The jambu fruit that grows on Mount Gandhamadana is as large as an elephant’s body and falls down from the summit of the mountain. The flow of that juice is known as River Jambu and the gold known as jambunada is produced from this. The river circles Meru and again enters the source of River Jambu. People drink from this. O tiger among brahmanas! Vishnu exists in Bhadrashva in his Ashvashira form, in Bharata in his kurma form, in Ketumala in his varaha form and towards the north, 618 in his matysa form. O best among brahmanas! The nakshatras and rishis exist in these four varshas and the progress of the planets is studied, for their good and bad results.”’

  Chapter 52

  ‘Markandeya continued, “O supreme among brahmanas! In the four mountains beginning with Mandara, there are four groves and four lakes. Hear about them. In the east, there is the grove named Chaitraratha and in the south, Nandana. In the western mountain, there is the grove Vaibhraja and in the northern mountain, the one known as Savitra. The lake Arunoda is to the east and Manasa to the south. The lake Shitoda is to the west of Meru and Mahabhadra to the north. To the east of the great mountain of Mandara, are the mountains Shitarta, Chakramunja, Kulira, Ashva, Kangavat, Manishaila, Vrishavat, Mahanila, Bhavachala, Venu, Tamasa, Nishadha and Devashaila. On the southern flank of the great mountain of Mandara are the mountains Trikuta, Shikharadri, Kalinga, Patangaka, Ruchaka, the mountain Sanumat, Tamraka, Vishakhavat, Shvetadara, Samula, Vasudhara, Ratnavat, Ekashringa, Mahashaila, Rajashaila, Pipathaka, Panchashaila, Kailasa and Himavat, 619 supreme among mountains. To the west of Meru, beyond the mountains that are adjacent, are the mountains Suraksha, Shishiraksha, Vaidurya, Pingala, Pinjara, Mahabhadra, Surasa, Kapila, Madhu, Anjana, Kukkuta, Krishna, Pandura, supreme among mountains, the mountain Sahasrashikhara, Pariyatra and Shringavat. Hear about the mountains that are known to be to the north. O brahmana! The mountains to the north of Meru are said to be Shankhakuta, Vrishabha, the mountain Hamsanabha, the mountain Kapilendra, Sanumat, Nila, Svarnashringa, Shatashringa, Pushpaka, Meghaparvata, Virajaksha, Varahadri, Mayura and Jarudhi. The valleys of these mountains are extremely beautiful. They are adorned with groves and lakes full of sparkling water. O supreme among brahmanas! Men who are auspicious in their deeds are born there. O best among brahmanas! These regions are like heaven on earth and possess qualities that are superior to heaven. There is no acquisition of merit from good deeds or demerit from bad deeds there. It is said that even the gods enjoy the fruits of their good deeds there. O supreme among brahmanas! On these mountains, Shitanta 620 and the others, are the great and beautiful residences of vidyadharas, yakshas, kinnaras, uragas, rakshasas, gods and gandharvas. These are pure and pleasant places, filled with divine groves. The lakes are pleasant and the wind is pleasant in all the seasons. Nowhere is there any hardship, or agitation of the mind. I have spoken to you about the lotus on earth, with its four leaves. Bhadrashva, Bharata and the others are the leaves in the four directions. I have spoken about Bharatavarsha, which is to the south. This is karma-bhumi. There is no acquisition of merit from good deeds and demerit from bad deeds in any of the others. Know that because these are firmly established here, this is the most important region. O brahmana! It is here that men obtain heaven, hell, emancipation, birth as humans and birth as inferior species.”’

  Chapter 53

  ‘Markandeya continued, “Narayana is the origin of the universe and his feet support the earth. The goddess Ganga, with its three streams, flowed from there. She entered the moon, the origin of nectar and the source of water. United with the rays of the sun, her flow extended and became extremely pure. Descending on the slopes of Meru, she proceeded along four streams. She descended between the peaks that surround Meru. Without any support, her water reversed itself and without a support, fell down. At the feet of Mandara and the other mountains, the water was divided into four equal flows and fell down, shattering the rocks on those mountains. The eastern flow, known as Sita, proceeded to Chaitraratha grove. It flooded the place and went to Lake Varunoda. From there, it went to Mount Shitanta, 621 and thereafter, progressively to the other mountains. Having reached earth, it flowed through Bhadrashva into the ocean. Similarly, to the south, the stream known as Alakananda flowed through Gandhamadana into Nandana, the grove of the gods at the foot of Meru. Its great force flooded Lake Manasa and reached the beautiful Trishikhara, 622 king among mountains. After that, it progressively went to all the mountains on the south. Having flooded them, it reached the giant mountain, the Himalayas. Shambhu, the one with the bull on his banner, held her there and would not release her. Bhagiratha fasted, praised and worshipped the lord. Released by Sharva, the seven streams flowed into the southern ocean. Towards the east, three streams flooded Mahanadi. 623 To the south, a single flow followed Bhagiratha’s chariot. In that way, on the west, the great river had a stream known as Suchakshu. This descended on Mount Vipula and went to the forest of Vaibhraja. This great river flooded Lake Shitoda and progressively descended on the summits of the mountains there. It reached Mount Suchakshu 624 and went to Trishikha. 625 It passed through Ketumala and entered the southern ocean. The great and divine river, Ganga, flowed in a northern direction. She progressively passed through the mountains to the north, Rishabha and the other mountains. At the foot of Meru, she reached Mount Suparshva. Obtaining the name of Bhadrasoma there, the stream went to the grove Savita. Having flooded it, she reached Lake Mahabhadra. Thereafter, the great river went to Shankhakuta. Thereafter, she progressively reached the range of mountains to the north, Vrishabha and the others. Having flooded Uttarakuru, she entered the great ocean. O bull among brahmanas! I have thus duly spoken to you about Ganga and also about the varshas that are there in Jambu-dvipa. Kimpurusha and the other varshas are inhabited by subjects who are generally happy. They do not suffer from anxiety and there is no sense of superior and inferior. Each of these varshas has seven kulachalas. 626 In each region, there are rivers that flow from the mountains. O supreme among brahmanas! In eight varshas, Kimpurusha and the others, the water rises up from the ground. But this is not the case in Bharata, where water descends from the clouds. In those eight varshas, men naturally obtain success from the trees, from the water and from their mental state, and from their deeds. Trees provide all the objects of desire and that natural success is known as that which comes from trees. If success is innate in a region, that is known as success that comes naturally. This is also the case with the subtle success that comes from the water and the mental state. The only exception is success that comes through worshipping and other deeds. Therefore, in those regions, yugas do not exist. There are no physical or mental ailments. There are no undertakings that are auspicious or inauspicious.”’

  Chapter 54

  ‘Kroushtuki said, “O illustrious one! You have described Jambu-dvipa completely and you have said that merits from good deeds or demerits from bad deeds do not exist anywhere else, with the exception of Bharata. O immensely fortunate one! It is here that one obtains emancipation, heaven, or a medium state. 627 Indeed, there is no other region where karma has been recommended for mortals. O brahmana! Therefore, tell me in detail about Bharata. What are its divisions! What are its boundaries? O tiger among brahmanas! What are the regi
ons and mountains that exist within the varsha?”