Information AboutJambudvipa |
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Puranic description Continent Jambudvipa (''Rose Apple Island''), also known as ''Sudarshandvipa'', forms the innermost concentric island in the above scheme of Puranic dvipas or continents. Its name is said to derive from Jambu (a Rose Apple ( Syzygium jambos), a kind of black plum) tree. The fruits of the Jambu tree are said to be as large as elephants and when they become rotten and fall upon the crest of the mountains, a river of juice is formed from their expressed juice. The river so formed is called Jambunadi (Jambu river) which flows through Jambudvipa, whose inhabitants drink its waters. Insular continent Jambudvipa is said to comprise nine ''varsas'' or zones and eight ''mountains''. The Markandeya Purana portrays Jambudvipa as being depressed on its south and north and elevated and broad in the middle. The elevated region forms the varsa named ''Illa-vrta'' (or ''Meruvarsa''). At the center of Illa-Vrta lies the golden Mount Meru , the king of mountains and the support of the planet earth. On the summit of Mount Meru is the vast city of Lord Brahma , known as ''Brahmapuri''. Surrounding Brahmapuri are the cities of Lord Indra and of seven other ''devatas'' or Demigod s. The varsas of ''Ramyaka'' (or ''Ramanaka''), ''Hiranmaya'' (or ''Hiranyaka'') and '' Uttarakuru '' (or ''Shringashaka'') are said to lie on the north, those of ''Hari'', ''Kimpurusha'' and ''Bharata'' on the south and of ''Ketumal'' and ''Bhadrasva'' on the west and east sides of Mount Meru respectively. The mountains named ''Nishada'', ''Hemakuta'' and ''Himavar'' lie on the south, mountains ''Nila'', ''Sveta'' and ''Sringavan'' on the north, those of ''Malayavat'' and ''Gandhamadana'' on the west and east direction of Mount Meru respectively. The geographical description of the Jambudvipa is given in great detail in ''Bhishmaparva'' of the Mahabharata and several other Purana s. The Markandeya Purana and the Brahmanda Purana divide Jambudvipa into four vast regions shaped like four petals of a Lotus with Mount Meru being located at the center like a Pericarp . The city of ''Brahmapuri'' of the Puranic accounts is said to be enclosed by the river Ganga , known as ''Akash Ganga''. River Ganga is said to issue forth from the foot of Lord Vishnu and after washing the lunar region falls "through the skies" and after encircling the Brahmapuri "splits up into four mighty streams", which are said to flow in four opposite directions from the landscape of Mount Meru and irrigate the vast lands of Puranic Jambudvipa. River ''Sita'' irrigates the Bhadrasva varsa, river ''Jambunadi'' streams through the Ketumala varsa, river ''Alakananda'' flows through the Bharata varsa and river ''Bhadra'' washes the lands of the Uttara-Kuru varsa (See: Geographical Data in Early Purana, 1972, p5) Real-world identification It is not possible to satisfactorily identify all zones (''varsas'') of Jambudvipa. The Vayu Purana furnishes some details of the mountain ranges, valleys and river systems of the geographical region of Jambudvipa making it possible to identify some of their geographical features.
Other varsas of Jambudvipa are unidentifiable. As regards the ''Dvipas'' or insular continents,
The Puranic account of the dvipas is mixed up with Mythology . Hence, some of the concentric continents can not be identified in the real world, since their identification, according to ''Matsya Purana'', is Super-human . Buddhist views The Buddhist Cosmology divides the ''bhumandala'' (earth) into three intermingled separate levels viz. ''Kamadhatu'' (world of desire), ''Ruphadatu'' (world of forms), and ''Arupadhatu'' (world of formlessness). In Kamadhatu is located Mount Meru which is said to be surrounded by four islands. "The southernmost island is called Jambudvipa". This is the level or region where the humans live and is the only place where a being may become enlightened. The birth brings a soul into human body and thus also into Jambudvipa. It is in Jambudvipa that the soul may receive the gift of Dhamma (''Dharma'') and come to understand the Four Noble Truths , the Eightfold Path and ultimately realize the liberation from the cycle of life and death. The other three continents of Buddhist accounts around Mount Meru are not accessible to humans. SEE ALSO The Jambudvipa of Buddhist texts The Jambudvipa Trust Transforming Self and World REFERENCES ''Geographical Data in the Early Puranas. A Critical Study'', Dr M. R. Singh: University of Rajasthan/Jaipur (Punthi Pustak, Calcutta, 1972) |
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