धृतराष्ट्र उवाच जम्बूखण्डस्त्वया प्रोक्तो यथावदिह संजय। विष्कम्भमस्य प्रब्रहि परिमाण तु तत्त्वतः॥
Dhritarashtra said O Sanjaya, you have described to me. Jambukhanda. Tell me now its dimensions and extent.
समुद्रस्य प्रमाणं च सम्यगच्छिद्रदर्शनम्। शाकद्वीपं च मे ब्रूहि कुशद्वीपं च संजय॥
O Sanjaya, tell me also of the extent of the oceans, of Shakadvipa, and of Kushadvipa.
शाल्मलिं चैव तत्त्वेन क्रौञ्चद्वीपं तथैव च। ब्रूहि गावल्गणे सर्वं राहोः सोमार्कयोस्तथा॥
Of Shalmalidvipa and of Kraunchadvipa. O son of Gavalgani, tell me also of Rahu, Soma and Surya.
संजय उवाच राजन् सुबहवो द्वीपा यैरिदं सततं जगत्। सप्तद्वीपान् प्रवक्ष्यामि चन्द्रादित्यौ ग्रहं तथा॥
Sanjaya said O king, there are many islands in this earth. But I shall describe to you only seven islands and also the moon, and the sun and the planets.
अष्टादश सहस्राणि योजनानि विशाम्पते। षट् शतानि च पूर्णानि विष्कम्भो जम्बुपर्वतः॥
O king, the Jambu mountain extends for full eighteen thousand and six hundred Yojanas.
लावणस्य समुद्रस्य विष्कम्भो द्विगुणः स्मृतः। नानाजनपदाकीर्णो मणिविदुमचित्रितः॥
The extent of the salt sea is said to be double of it. this sea is covered with many kingdoms. It is adorned with gems and corals.
नैकधातुविचित्रैश्च पर्वतैरुपशोभितः। सिद्धचारणसंकीर्णः सागर: परिमण्डलः॥
It is adorned with many mountains that are variegated with metals of various kinds. It is circular in form like a sea, and is thickly peopled by the Siddhas and the Charanas.
शाकद्वीपं च वक्ष्यामि यथावदिह पार्थिव। शृणु मे त्वं यथान्यायं ब्रुवतः कुरुनन्दन॥
O descendant of Bharata. O scion of the Kuru race, I shall now speak to you in detail of Shakadvipa. Hear as I describe it.
जम्बूद्वीपप्रमाणेन द्विगुणः स नराधिप। विष्कम्भेण महाराज सागरोऽपि विभागशः॥
O that island is twice as large as the Jambudvipa. O king of kings, the ocean also is twice as large as that island.
क्षीरोदो भरतश्रेष्ठ येन सम्परिवारितः। तत्र पुण्या जनपदास्तत्र न म्रियते जनः॥
O best of the Bharata race, Shakadvipa is surrounded on all sides by the sea of milk. Its kingdoms are full of righteousness and its men never die.
कुत एव हि दुर्भिक्षं क्षमातेजोयुता हि ते। शाकद्वीपस्य संक्षेपो यथावद् भरतर्षभ॥ उक्त एष महाराज किमन्यत् कथयामि ते।
There is no famine there. The people all possess forgiveness and great prowess. O best of the Bharata race, I have briefly spoken to you about Shakadvipa. What else. O king, do you desire to hear.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच शाकद्वीपस्य संक्षेपो यथावदिह संजय॥ उक्तस्त्वया महाप्राज्ञ विस्तर ब्रूहि तत्त्वतः।
Dhritarashtra said You have briefly told me of Shakadvipa. O greatly wise one, tell me now everything in detail.
संजय उवाच तथैव पर्वता राजन् सप्तात्र मणिभूषिताः॥ रत्नाकरास्तथा नद्यस्तेषां नामानि मे शृणु। अतीव गुणवत् सर्वं तत्र पुण्यं जनाधिप॥ देवर्षिगन्धर्वयुतः प्रथमो मेरुरुच्यते।
O king there are seven mountains in that island. They are decked with jewels and there are mines of gems and precious stones. There are many rivers in that island. Hear, as I tell you their names. O king, every thing there is charming and delightful. The first of those mountains is called Meru. It is the abode of the celestials, the Rishis and the Gandharvas.
प्रागायतो महाराज मलयो नाम पर्वतः॥ ततो मेघाः प्रवर्तन्ते प्रभवन्ति च सर्वशः।
O king, the next mountains stretching castward is called the Malaya. It is there that the clouds are born, and it is from that place that they disperse on all sides.
ततः परेण कौरव्य जलधारो महागिरिः॥ ततो नित्यमुपादत्ते वासवः परमं जलम्।
O descendant of Kuru, the next is the large mountain, called Jaladhara. From it, Indra daily takes water of the best quality.
ततो वर्ष प्रभवति वर्षकाले जनेश्वर॥ उच्चैगिरी रैवतको यत्र नित्यं प्रतिष्ठिता। रेवती दिवि नक्षत्रं पितामहकृतो विधिः॥ उत्तरेण तु राजेन्द्र श्यामो नाम महागिरिः।
O ruler of men, it is from that water that we get showers in the rains. Next is the great mountain, called Raivataka over which has been permanently placed in the sky of constellation Rohini. This arrangement has been made by the Grandsire (Brahma) himself. O great king, on the north of this mountains is one called Syama.
नवमेघप्रभः प्रांशुः श्रीमानुज्ज्वलविग्रहः॥ यतः श्यामत्वमापन्नाः प्रजा जनपदेश्वर।
It is as bright as the newly risen clouds. It is high beautiful and bright. O king, as the colour of that mountain is black, all the people that live there are dark.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच सुमहान् संशयो मेऽद्य प्रोक्तोऽयं संजय त्वया। प्रजाः कथं सूतपुत्र सम्प्राप्ताः श्यामतामिह॥
Dhritarashtra said O Sanjaya, a great doubt has arisen in my mind. Why, O son of Suta, people of that country are dark?
संजय उवाच सर्वेष्वेव महाराज द्वीपेषु कुरुनन्दन। गौरः कृष्णश्च वर्णों द्वौ तयोर्वर्णान्तरे नृप।॥
Sanjaya said O great king, O descendant of Kuru in all islands men may be found who are fair and those who are dark and those also who are born by the mixture of the white and the black races.
श्यामो यस्मात् प्रवृत्तो वै तत् ते वक्ष्यामि भारत। आस्तेऽत्र भगवान् कृष्णस्तत्कान्त्याश्यामतां गतः॥ ततः परं कौरवेन्द्र दुर्गशैलो महोदयः।
But because the people are all dark there, that mountain is called the Dark mountain. O chief of the Kurus, next to this is the great mountain, called Durgashaila.
केसरः केसरयुतो यतो वातः प्रवर्तते॥ तेषां योजनविष्कम्भो द्विगुणः प्रविभागशः।
Then is the mountain, called Kesari. The breezes, that blow from the mountain, are all charged with effluvia. The height of this mountain is double of the one just mentioned.
वर्षाणि तेषु कौरव्य सप्तोक्तानि मनीषिभिः॥ महामेरुर्महाकाशो जलदः कुमुदोत्तरः। जलधारो महाराज सुकुमार इति स्मृतः॥ रेवतस्य त कौमारः श्यामस्य मणिकाञ्चनः।
O descendant of Kuru it is said by the learned that there are seven Varshas in that island. The Varsha of Meru is called Mahakasha, that of the water-giver (Malaya) is called Kumudottara. That of Jaladhara is called that of Shyama, called Manikanchana.
केसरस्याथ मोदाकी परेण तु महापुमान्॥ परिवार्य तु कौरव्य दैर्ध्य ह्रस्वत्वमेव च। जम्बूद्वीपेन संख्यातस्तस्य मध्ये महाद्रुमः॥ शाको नाम महाराज प्रजा तस्य सदानुगा।
That of Kesara is called Modaki and that of the next mountain is called Mahapuman. In the midst of that island is a large tree called Shaka. In height and breadth that tree is equal to that of the Jambu tree in Jambudvipa. The people always worship that tree.
तत्र पुण्या जनपदाः पूज्यते तत्र शंकरः॥ तत्र गच्छन्ति सिद्धाश्च चारणा दैवतानि च।
In that island there are many charming countries in which Shiva is worshipped. The Siddhas, the Charanas and the celestial go there.
धार्मिकाच प्रजा राजश्चत्वारोऽतीव भारत॥ वर्णाः स्वकर्मनिरता न च स्तेनोऽत्र दृश्यते।
O king, the people there are all virtuous, O descendant of Bharata, all the four orders of men there are engaged in their respective duties. There occurs not a case of theft.
दीर्घायुषो महाराज जरामृत्युविवर्जिताः॥ प्रजास्तत्र विवर्धन्ते वर्षास्विव समुद्रगाः।
O king, being free from old age and death, and possessing long life, the people there grow like rivers in the rains.
नद्यः पुण्यजलास्तत्र गङ्गा च बहुधा गता॥ सुकुमारी कुमारी च शीताशी वेणिका तथा।
The rivers there are all full of sacred water. Ganga herself, distributed as she is in various countries, is also there. Sukumari, Kumari, Shitashi and Venika.
महानदी च कौरव्य तथा मणिजला नदी॥ चक्षुर्वर्धनिका चैव नदी भरतसत्तम।
Mahanadi, the Manijala, Chakshuas, and the river Vardhanika, O descendant of Kuru, O best of the Bharata race.
तत्र प्रवृताः पुण्योदा नद्यः कुरुकुलोद्वह॥ सहस्राणां शतोन्येव यतो वर्षति वासवः।
These and many other rivers by hundreds and thousands all full of sacred water are there. O perpetuator of the Kuru race, Vasava (Indra) draws water from them to shower as rain.
न तासां नामदेयानि परिमाणं तथैव च॥ शक्यन्ते परिसंख्यातुं पुण्यास्ता हि सरिद्वराः।
It is impossible to mention the names and lengths of these rivers. All of them are the foremost of all rivers, and they are all sincleansing.
तव पुण्या जनपदाश्चत्वारो लोकसम्मताः॥ मङ्गाश्च मशकाश्चैव मानसा मन्दगास्तथा।
As every body has heard in the island of Shaka there are four sacred countries. They are the Mrigas, the Mashakas, the Manasas and the Mandagas.
मङ्गा ब्राह्मणभूयिष्ठाः स्वकर्मनिरता नृप॥ मशकेषु तु राजन्या धार्मिकाः सर्वकामदाः।
The Mrigas are generally Brahmanas engaged in the duties of their own. Many virtuous Kshatriyas are among the Mashakas who grant every wish of the Brahmanas.
मानसाश्च महाराज वैश्यधर्मोपजीविनः॥ सर्वकामसमायुक्ताः शूरा धर्मार्थनिश्चिताः।
O king, the Manasas follow the duties of the Vaishyas. Having all their desires gratified, they are brave and firmly devoted to Dharma and Artha.
शूद्रास्तु मन्दगा नित्यं पुरुषा धर्मशीलिनः॥ न तत्र राजा राजेन्द्र न दण्डो न च दण्डिकः।
The Mandagas are all brave Shudras and they are all virtuous. O king, in these countries, there is no king, no punishment, and no person who deserves to be punished.
स्वधर्मेणैव धर्मज्ञास्ते रक्षन्ति परस्परम्॥ एतावदेव शक्यं तु तत्र द्वीपे प्रभाषितुम्। एतदेव च श्रोतव्यं शाकद्वीपे महौजसि॥
They are all engaged in the practice of their respective duties and they all protect one another. So much can be said of the Shaka island and so much only could be heard of that greatly powerful isiand.