Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana Book 5 Chapter 20:24-36

Book 5: Chapter 20

Srimad Bhagvata Mahapurana: Book 5: Chapter 20: Verses 24-36 A description of the other six Dwipas and the mountain-range called Lokaloka Likewise, situated beyond the ocean of milk and round about it is the äkadwipa with a width of thirty-two Iakh Yojanas (or 2,56,00,000 miles) and enclosed by an equally wide ocean of liquid curds. In that Dwipa stands a tree bearing the appellation of Saka, which is responsible for the name of the Dwipa and whose most fragrant odour they say perfumes the (entire) Dwipa. The (first) ruler of that Dwipa too was a (the sixth) son of Priyavrata, Medhatithi by name. He too carved out seven Varsas,- that were named after his sons, and, having installed there as (their) rulers his own sons-bearing the names of Purojava, Manojava, Pavamana, Dhumranika, Citrarepha, Bahurupa and Viswadhara----himself entered (retired to) a forest suitable for religious austerities, his mind given to Lord Ananta. The mountains forming the boundaries of these Varsas, as well as the rivers of these Varsas are severally seven only----viz., the Isana, Urusrnga, Balabhadra, Satakesara Sahasrasrota, Devapala and Mahanasa (mountains) and the Anagha, Ayurda, Ubhayasprsti, Aparajita, Pancapadi, Sahasrasruti and Nijadhrti (rivers). (The four classes of) the people of those Varsas--severally bearing the title of Rtavrata, Satyavrata, Danavrata and Anuvrata-worship the Lord in the form of the wind-god through supreme concentration of mind, having shaken off (the elements of) Rajas and Tamas by means of Pranayama (breath-control). (They repeat the following prayer:-)"May that Lord, the very inner Controller (of ail)-under whose sway this visible universe exists and who, having entered (the body of all) animate beings (as air), sustains them by His (fivefold) functions of inhalation, exhalation and so on (that serve as a token of His own existence)-protect us!" and is thus quite in keeping with the spirit of scriptures. Even so, extending beyond the ocean of fluid curds and encircling it (on one side) lies the Puskaradwipa, double in width as compared to it and surrounded on the other side by an equally wide ocean of fresh water. In that Dwipa stands a gigantic lotus with hundreds of millions of gold petals bright as the flames of a blazing fire, which is intended to be the seat of the glorious Brahma (who is universally known as having a lotus for his seat). In the middle of that Dwipa rises only one mountain-range, named Manasottara, which forms the boundary of the inner and outer Varsas and possesses a height as well as a width of ten thousand Yojanas (eighty thousand miles). On this mountain stand (built) in the four quarters the four cities of Indra and (three) other guardians of the world (Mama, Varuna and Soma) (and) over it revolves the (other) wheel--in the form of a year-of the sun-god's chariot, going round Mount Meru (to which the first wheel stands fastened) in the space of a day and a night of the gods (which correspond to the northern and southern courses of the sun). The (first) ruler of the aforementioned Dwipa as well was a (the seventh) son of Priyavrata, Vitihotra by name. Having appointed his two sons, Ramanaka and Dhataki by name, as the rulers of the two Varsas (comprised in his Dwipa), he himself took solely to the service (worship) of the Lord, like his elder brothers. The people of these two Varsas worship the Lord in the form of Brahma (the Creator) through rituals leading to (the attainment of) Brahma's heaven and other such rewards (which are achieved through actions alone) and repeat the following (prayer):- "Hail to that glorious, yet tranquil form (of the Lord), which is attained through (meritorious) acts and by resorting to which (the truth about) Brahma can be known, which men worship (as Brahma), (and) which has the one supreme Reality for its goal and is (therefore essentially) one without a second." The sage (Sri Suka) went on :- Beyond that (the ocean of fresh water) stands in the form of a ring the mountain-range called Lokaloka, which constitutes the dividing line between the region lighted (by the sun) and that which is not so lighted. (A stretch of) land as wide as that lying between the Manasottara and Meru mountains extends (on the other side of the ocean of fresh water). Beyond that there is another (tract of) land with a surface of gold and (bright) like a sheet of mirror. Anything dropped there is on no account to be found again (apparently because it is changed into gold and assimilated with the surface): hence it is shunned by all (earthly) life. The mountain-range referred to above is rightly called 'Lokaloka' inasmuch as 'Loka' (the region lighted by the sun) and 'Aloka' (that screened from the sun's rays) are clearly defined by it, standing as it does between them.