CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A Description of Jambiadvipa

While describing the character of Maharaja Priyavrata and his descen-
dants, Sukadeva Gosvami also described Meru Mountain and the plan-
etary system known as Bhi-mandala. Bhi-mandala is like a lotus flower,
and its seven islands are compared to the whorl of the lotus. The place
known as Jambidvipa is in the middle of that whorl. In Jambidvipa
there is a mountain known as Sumeru, which is made of solid gold. The
height of this mountain is 84,000 yojanas, of which 16,000 yojanas are
below the earth. Its width is estimated to be 32,000 yojanas at its summit
and 16,000 yojanas at its foot. (One yojana equals approximately eight
miles.) This king of mountains, Sumeru, is the support of the planet
earth.

On the southern side of the land known as Iavrta-varsa are the moun-
tains known as Himavan, Hemakita and Nisadha, and on the northern
side are the mountains Nila, Sveta and Sriiga. Similarly, on the eastern
and western side there are Malyavan and Gandhamadana. two large
mountains. Surrounding Sumeru Mountain are four mountains known as
Mandara. Merumandara, Suparsva and Kumuda, each 10.000 yojanas
long and 10,000 yojanas high. On these four mountains there are trees
1,100 yojanas high—a mango tree, a rose apple tree. a kadamba tree and
a banyan tree. There are also lakes full of milk, honey, sugarcane juice
and pure water. These lakes can fulfill all desires. There are also gardens
named Nandana, Citraratha, Vaibhrajaka and Sarvatobhadra. On the side
of Suparsva Mountain is a kadamba tree with streams of honey flowing
from its hollows, and on Kumuda Mountain there is a banyan tree named
Satavalga, from whose roots flow rivers containing milk, yogurt and
many other desirable things. Surrounding Sumeru Mountain like fila-
ments of the whorl of a lotus are twenty mountain ranges such as
Kuranga, Kurara, Kusumbha, Vaikanka and Trikita. To the east of
Sumeru are the mountains Jathara and Devakita, to the west are Pavana
and Pariyatra, to the south are Kailasa and Karavira, and to the north are
Trisraga and Makara. These eight mountains are about 18.000 yojanas
long, 2,000 yojanas wide and 2,000 yojanas high. On the summit of

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