Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana
by Chaitali Kadia | 2021 | 91,183 words
This page relates ‘Saptadvipa (1): Jambudvipa (Introduction)� of the study on the historical elements of the Matsya-purana: one of the eighteen Mahapuranas which are Sanskrit texts that have preserved the cultural heritage, philosophy, religion, geography, etc of ancient India. This Matsyapurana was originally written in 20,000 verses and deals with topics such as architecture, ancient history, polity, religion and philosophy.
ٲ屹ī貹 (1): ܻ屹ī貹 (Introduction)
In the Chapter 113 the ūٲ has described about the ܻ屹ī貹 to put down Sage’s curiosity. When the Sages ask about the whole world, the ūٲ answers them and tells that he is not able to tell about the whole world because world is so vast and that is why he only tells about the ٲ屹ī貹 of the earth and he start with the ܻ屹ī貹 . According to the Matsya ʳܰṇa , the expansion of ܻ屹ī貹 is one lakh Yojana . It is full of many beautiful countries and cities. The Siddhas and Բ live in it. It is adorned with Mountains of all kinds of metals combined and integrated with rock groups. It is widespread from the rivers originating from those Mountains. It has six vast rainforests spread from east to west. It has a Mountain called ᾱ, which extends to the seas on both the east and west sides and always covered with snow. After this there is a Mountain called Hemkuta , covered with gold. After that, which is very beautiful to see from all around, it is a great Mountain called ṣa .
On one side of it is Suvarnamay Meruparvata , whose four sides are of four colors and which ware called Ulambamaya (similar to uterus). It is spread in all four directions for twenty-four thousand schemes. Its upper part is a circular figure and the lower part is square. Its sides are covered with multicolored plains of land, which looks like the nature of the butterfly. This is originated from Avyaktajanma Brahma’s navel. Its eastern part is white colored, due to which its Brahmanical spirit is reflected. Its southern part is yellow in color, due to which there is a belief of ղśⲹ spirit. Its western part is black like the wings of the bee, due to which Śܻ spirit is reflected. Its northern part is red colored by nature and this indicates its ṣaٰⲹ spirit. In this way, the description of all four colors is given. Then there is the Neel Parvata , which is covered with ղܰⲹṇi . Then again there is the Śٲ Parvata , which is yellow due to covered with gold and also there is Śṛn Parvata , embellished with golden peaks, which are like peacock’s tail and with peculiar colors. All these Mountains are always served by the Siddhas and Բ . Their inner diameter is said to be nine thousand Yojanas.
In the central part of the earth there is a year called 屹ṛt , which is spread around the Ѳ峾 Mountain. It is wide in the flat lands of twenty-four thousand Yojana . In its central part is a Mountain called Ѳ峾 , which shines like a flameless fire. The half-southern part of Meru Mountain is famous as South Meru and half-northern part as North Meru. In this way, in the Seven ղṣa , that has been mentioned, there are Seven ղṣa Parvata which are spread from south to north in the range of two thousand Yojana . The expansion of ܻ屹ī貹 is said to be equal to the expansion of these Seven ղṣa and Mountains. Among them Neel & ṣaa both of these are huge Mountains and Śٲ , Hemakuta , ᾱ and Śṛn –they are comparatively smaller than them (Neel , ṣaa ). Ṛṣ Mountain is said to be similar wide to the ܻ屹ī貹 . Hemakuta Mountain is less than twelfth part of Ṛṣ Mountain and ᾱ is less than twentieth part of it. The Hemakuta , Great Mountain is said to be of magnitude eighty-eight thousand Yojana and the Mountain ᾱ is spread from east to west in eighty thousand Yojana . Due to being located in the zonal circle of ܻ屹ī貹 these Mountains have been described as modesty. Like the Mountains, there is variation in the ղṣas as well. They are all spread towards each other towards the north. Between them the countries, which are inhabited, are divided into seven ṣa . All these seven ṣa are surrounded by Mountains that are impossible due to floss (spring/waterfalls). Similarly, due to the division of seven rivers, they are not interchangeable. In these ṣa , many races and animals reside everywhere. This ṣa , related to the ᾱ Mountain, is known as the ٰṣa .
The region after ᾱ to ṭa is called as ܰṣa and after Hemakuta to ṣaa Mountain the region is known as Hariṣa . After Hariṣa , the region to the Meru Mountain is popularly known as 屹ṛt and the province after 屹ṛt to the Neela Mountain is known as Ramyakaṣa . The region which is situated after the Ramyakaṣa to the Sveta Mountain, is famous as Hiraṇyakaṣa . After Hiraṇyakaṣa there is another ṣa named Śṛnś첹 , which is also known as kuru ṣa . Another two ṣa are situated shaped like a bow in the south and north direction of the Meru Mountain. In their midst the 屹ṛt ṣa is situated. In the east direction of the ṣaa Mountain, the alter half of Meru is known as ٲṣiԱ徱 and from the west side of 屹ṛt , the half part of the alter is known as Uttaravedi . Between the two vedi , the position of the Meru where the 屹ṛt ṣa is located, should be considered. In south of the Nile Mountain and north of the ṣa Mountain is a Mountain named ⱹ , which is counted in the vast Mountains. It is long from north to south. It is spread in thirty-two thousand yojana after the ocean in the west direction. Thus, the ⲹ Mountain is situated in an extension of one thousand yojana between the Nile and ṣaa Mountain. Similarly, the ҲԻ岹 Mountain has also been spread in thirty-two thousand.
In the middle of both these circles is a golden Mountain called Meru. It is square and extremely high, with four types of colors.
Its sides are decorated with a variety of colors. Its eastern part is white, the southern part is yellow, the western part is black like a winged feather and the northern part is red. Thus it is said to contain four colors. In this way, the divine Mountain Meru surrounded by maintains from all around is beautified like king. It is like youth Sun i.e. mid sun. It shines like a flameless fire. Its height above the earth is eighty-four thousand yojana. It is sunk under the earth for sixteen thousand yojanas and it is spread up to twenty-eight thousand yojans .
Its spread around it is twice the extent. This great celestial Mountain Meru is full of divine herbs and is surrounded by all golden trees. On this Mountain, the ٱ𱹲 , Gandharvas , Asuras and demons everyone enjoy life of being with Apsaras. It has four countries located in its various sides. They are–�ś � in the east, �ٲ � in the south, �Ketumala � in the west and �Uttarkuru � as the shelter of the virtues done in the north. In the same way, in all four directions, there are four Great Mountains named �Mandara �, �ҲԻ岹 �, �Vipul � and �ܱś � decorated with all kinds of gems. On the top of them there are the lakes named �ṇo岹 �, �Բ �, �Sitoda � and �Bhadra � and many other forest. There are many trees of Bhadrakadamba on the Mandar Mountain, Jamun on the Mountain ҲԻ岹 , Peepal on the Mountain Vipul and Banyan trees on the Mountain ܱś .
In the west part of the ҲԻ岹 , there is a Mountain called ṇḍ , which is completed with thirty-two thousand plain lands by all sides. The residents who perform auspicious deeds there are known as Ketumal . In the south from the Nile Mountain and north from the ṣaa Mountain is a ղṣa named 鲹ṇa첹 .
To the north of the Śٲ Mountain and to the south side of the Śṛn Mountain is a ղṣa named Hiraṇṣa , where the river named Ჹṇvī flows. In that ղṣa , there is a great tree of Lakuch (Barhar)–covered with leaves, by drinking the fruit juice of it, human live there. There are three peaks of the Śṛn Mountain, which are very high. One of them is full of gems, one is full of Gold and one is adorned with server. To the north and south coast of the Śṛn Mountain is the ṣa called Uttarkuru which is supremely virtuous and well preserved by the Siddhas . There is divine nectar water flowing in rivers. There are also many divine trees full of sweet fruits. Some of the trees are very beautiful and fulfilling all desires. All the lands there are full of Gems and on the lands fine sand is scattered. A wordless, soft and soft-smelling fragrant air flows around it.
In addition to the Matsya ʳܰṇa , the ܻ屹ī貹 is also mentioned in the Padma ʳܰṇa (Svargakhanda 6/66-69), Vāyu ʳܰṇa (Ch-1/96, 1/47), Liṅga ʳܰṇa (Ch-49), Śī岵ٲ (Ch-20), Vāmana ʳܰṇa (Ch-13/3/5), Garuda ʳܰ� (Ch-55/1/3), վṣṇ ʳܰṇa (2nd part Chapter-2) etc. According to the �ʳܰṇa Vimarsa �, it was a part of the India in the beginning of the ܻ屹ī貹 , but later, in the arrival of the Ś첹 and ṣān , many changes in the India have been changed. Almost all the ʳܰṇas have been accepted that the ܻ屹ī貹 is the first watery island, almost one million Yojana wide among the seven 屹ī貹 . The վṣṇ ʳܰṇa mentions that in this island, there is a tree of Jambu fruit (Jamun or Indian black berry) whose fruits are as large as elephants. The ripped fruits fall to the ground and its juice is mixed with water in the Jambu River. This island is named after this Jambu tree. Almost every ʳܰṇa mentions some ṣa and Mountains of the ܻ屹ī貹 but the only difference being in their numbers. Not only Hindu ʳܰṇas but also there are mention about the ܻ屹ī貹 in Buddhismand, Jainism.
According to the Dharma-ṃg the ܻ屹ī貹 is one of the center Continent among the four continents�
- ū in the East,
- ܻ屹ī貹 in the center,
- 貹ǻī in the West,
- ٳٲܻܰ屹ī貹 in the North.
According to �Jaina-cosmology� the ܻ屹ī貹 is a continent which is situated in the middle part of the Universe or �Madhyaloka �. Jaina cosmology also mentions that the ܻ屹ī貹 has 6 Mountains and 9 zones (ṣeٰ ).
The 9 zones are�
- ٲ ṣeٰ;
- Mahāvideha ṣeٰ;
- Airavat ṣeٰ;
- Ramyakwas;
- Hariwas;
- Hairanvyat ṣeٰ;
- Haimavat ṣeٰ;
- Devkuru;
- Uttarkuru;