Information AboutJambudvipa |
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Puranic description According to Puranic cosmography, the earth is divided into seven concentric island continents (''sapta-dvipa vasumati'') separated by the seven encircling oceans, each double the size of the preceding one. The seven continents of the Purana s are stated as Jambudvipa, Plaksadvipa, Salmalidvipa, Kushadvipa, Krounchadvipa, Shakadvipa , and Pushkaradvipa. Seven intermediate oceans consist of salt-water, sugarcane juice, wine, Ghee , Curd , milk and water respectively.Agni Purana 108.1-2,Matsya Purana 121-122 Continent Jambudvipa (''Rose Apple Island''), also known as ''Sudarshanadvipa'', forms the innermost concentric island in the above scheme. Its name is said to derive from a Jambu tree (another name for the Rose Apple , a kind of black plum). 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) and flows through Jambudvipa, whose inhabitants drink its waters. Insular continent Jambudvipa is said to comprise nine ''varsas'' (zones) and eight significant ''mountains''. 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 ''Ila-vrta'' or ''Meruvarsa''. At the center of Ila-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 ''Ketumala'' and ''Bhadrasva'' on the west and east sides of Mount Meru respectively. The mountains named ''Nishada'', ''Hemakuta'' and ''Himavan'' ( Himalaya ) 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 Purana s. Markandeya Purana and 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'' 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 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.Geographical Data in the Early Puranas. A Critical Study, Dr M. R. Singh: University of Rajasthan/Jaipur. Punthi Pustak, Calcutta. 1972. p. 5 Real-world identification So far there is no satisfactory identification of 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 has not been identified. As regards the ''Dvipas'' or insular continents:
There has been an attempt to plot the concentric continents on Solar System .Richard L. Thompson. Mysteries of Sacred Universe, Govardhan Hill Publishing. 2000. Their identification is difficult since, according to ''Matsya Purana'', they are of Super-human nature. In Buddhism The (Desire realm), Rūpadhātu ''' (Form realm), and ''' Ārūpyadhātu ''' (Formless realm). In the Kāmadhātu is located Mount Sumeru which is said to be surrounded by four island-continents. "The southernmost island is called Jambudvīpa". The other three continents of Buddhist accounts around Sumeru are not accessible to humans from Jambudvīpa. Jambudvīpa is shaped like a triangle with a blunted point facing south. In its center is a gigantic Jambu tree (rose-apple) from which the continent takes its name, meaning "Jambu Island". Jambudvīpa is the region where the humans live and is the only place where a being may become enlightened by being born as a human being. It is in Jambudvīpa that one may receive the gift of Dharma and come to understand the Four Noble Truths , the Noble Eightfold Path and ultimately realize the liberation from the Cycle Of Life And Death . Another reference is from the Buddhist text Mahavamsa , where the emperor Ashoka 's son Mahinda introduces himself to the Sri Lanka n kind Devanampiyatissa as from Jambudvipa, referring to what is now the Indian mainland. NOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
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