Om. Jaya is the word that must be spoken, once Narayana, Nara, (the most exalted male being) and the goddess called Sarasvati have been worshipped. “Janamejaya said,
‘How did those heroes – the Kurus, the Pandavas, the Somakas, and the mahatmas (the kings) from various countries – who had gathered together fight?’" "Vaisampayana said:
‘Listen, O Lord of the Earth, how those heroes – the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas – fought on sacred Kurukshetra Plain. Upon entering Kurukshetra, the Pandavas, ones with naturally great might, and the Somakas sallied forth, wishing to win, towards the Kauravas. Each Pandava and Somaka, successful when it came to studying The Vedas, found warfare quite delightful. Expecting to be victorious, they, along with their troops, faced the enemy. Nearing the army of Dhritarashtra’s son, they, ones unable to be defeated on the battlefield, stationed themselves with their troops on the western side of the plain, their faces facing east. Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, asked that thousands of tents be lawfully pitched beyond the place called Samantapanchaka. The entire world seemed empty, because its horses, men, chariots, and elephants were being used. Only the children and the elderly were left behind. At Jambudwipa, a place the sun bathes with its beams, an army was assembled, supreme king. Men from each ethnic background gathered together at a place measuring many miles and including districts, rivers, hills, and forests. That taurine man, King Yudhishthira, asked that excellent food and other things that would pleasure them as well as their beasts be offered to them. He gave them specific code-words that could only refer to the Pandavas; the Kuru gave them nicknames and symbols to indicate which side they were on for the sake of the battle. Seeing the top of the flag belonging to Pritha’s son, the mahatma and son of Dhritarashtra, a white umbrella held over his head, began, whilst amid a thousand elephants and surrounded by his hundred brothers, arranging his troops for the sake of his enemy, the adopted son of Pandu. Seeing Duryodhana, the Panchalas who took delight in battle turned joyful; they blasted their thunderous conchs and loudly clanged their sweet-sounding cymbals. Seeing those quite-delighted troops, the adopted son of Pandu and the quite energetic Vasudeva turned joyful within their hearts. Those tigrine men sitting in one chariot, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, blew their divine conchs together. Hearing the blast of each conch (one called Giant and the other Offered-To-God) that belonged to them, the warriors urinated and defecated. The blasts they heard were so powerful they were like the animals that become terrified when they hear a lion’s roar. A fearsome dust-cloud was kicked up; everyone went blind. This was because the sun, suddenly coated with that dust, seemed to be the setting sun. A dark cloud made it rain flesh and blood on all the warriors below. How extraordinary this all was! A breeze kicked up, making myriads of rounded stones fly through the air and trouble hundreds and thousands of warriors. Because of all this, O king, both sides, joyful, stood there, ready to fight on Kurukshetra Plain, like two stormy seas. Truly the meeting of the two armies was quite wondrous; it was like the two seas that will meet at the end of the age. Now that only the children and the elderly had been left behind, the whole world seemed empty – a large army had been created by the Kauravas. Then, the Kurus, Pandavas, and the Somakas took certain vows and made certain rules, O taurine Bharata tribesman, about just how many fighting-styles there would be. A man would only be able to fight his equal and fight fairly at that. If both men decided to forfeit and there was no hint of future violence, it would be satisfactory. If two men decided to argue instead of fight, no fighting would indeed take place. If any man decided to leave the army for good, he would not be killed. Chariot-warriors would only fight equivalent chariot-warriors, warriors on elephants would only fight equal warriors on elephants, warriors on horses would only fight equivalent warriors on horses, and men on foot would only fight equivalent men on foot, O Bharata tribesman. The man who wished to fight another man would inform his intended opponent of his intentions and consider his opponent’s strength, willingness, daring, and might. The man who was ill-prepared or panic-stricken would not be fought. Men who were busy, men looking for shelter, men fleeing, men with lackluster weapons, and men not wearing armor would be left alone. Charioteers, animals hitched to chariots or bearing weapons, men focusing on carrying weapons, drummers, and conch-blowers would not be attacked. Agreeing to these rules, the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas wondered many things, eyeing one another. Having stationed their regiments thusly, those taurine men (mahatmas), along with their troops, became gladdened within their hearts, their joy obvious due to their faces.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Then, seeing the two armies standing there, facing east and the west because a powerful battle was at hand, holy Rishi Vyasa, Satyavati’s son, the best of all those who knew The Vedas, the Bharatas’ grandfather who knew the past, present, and future and saw it all before him whether it was the present or not, said these words in private to the royal son of Vichitravirya who was currently troubled and venting his sorrow, reflecting on the wrongful ways of his sons: O king, the time has come for your sons as well as the other kings. Ready for battle, they’ll kill one another. O Bharata tribesman, their time has come – they will all die. Keep in mind the changes Time brings about and don’t let your heart give into grief. O king, if you want to see the battle before it happens, I’ll give you the power of foresight. See the battle!
"But Dhritarashtra said: O best of the reborn Rishis, I wouldn’t like seeing my kinsmen die. Albeit, I would like to hear, by way of your power, about the battle down to the last detail.
"Because he preferred hearing about it rather than seeing it, Vyasa, the Lord of Favors, favored Sanjaya. To Dhritarashtra he said: Sanjaya, O king, will describe the battle to you. Nothing about the battle will get past him. Sanjaya is blessed with divine omniscience, O king, and he will describe the battle to you. He knows all, I’m sure. Whether it’s visible or hidden, whether it happens during the day or at night, and whether it’s spoken or thought, Sanjaya will know it. Weapons will not hurt him and labor will not tire him; the son of Gavalgani will survive the battle. As for me, O taurine Bharata tribesman, I will spread the fame of the present Kurus and Pandavas, so do not grieve. This is what must be, O tigrine man. It would not suit you to give into grief; this cannot be stopped. As for victory, well, where there is righteousness there is victory.
"The quite blessed and holy grandfather of the Kurus, having said this, spoke to Dhritarashtra again: I foresee a great slaughter, O king, when it comes to this battle. I see many bad omens that indicate terror. One by one, hawks, vultures, crows, herons, and cranes are perching in trees and joining their kind. These birds, taking delight at the idea of a battle, are gazing down at the field below. I foresee carnivorous beasts eating elephant- and horse-flesh. Fierce herons, foretelling terror and crying out without end, are wandering through the middle of the sky and heading south. I can see, at each sunrise and each sunset, O Bharata tribesman, the sun cloaked by headless torsos. Tri-colored clouds (white linings and red-black necks), energized by lightning, physically like maces, are cloaking the sun at sunrise and sunset. I’ve seen the sun, moon, and stars ablaze, nothing changing in the evening. I’ve seen this all day and all night; it all foretells terror. On the fifteenth night of a lit fortnight in October or November, the moon, its light taken away, will disappear. It might turn the color of fire, the heavens the color of a lotus. Many heroic world-leaders, kings, and princes, naturally quite brave and possessive of mace-like arms, will be slain and fall asleep eternally on the ground. Nightly, I can see and hear boars and cats fighting in the sky. Images of gods and goddesses laugh, tremble, vomit blood, sweat, and fall. O king, I hear drums but see no drummer. The great chariots of the Kshatriyas are moving without the help of the beasts hitched to them. Indian cuckoos, woodpeckers, watercocks, parrots, crows, peacocks, and other birds are making terrible cries. Here and there, armed cavalrymen are shouting fiercely. At sunrise, swarms of insects, hundreds in number, are seen. At sunrise and sunset, the main quarters of the sky seem to be ablaze; the clouds, O Bharata tribesman, shower dust and flesh. The one famous the three worlds over whom the righteous praise – the constellation Arundhati – carries her husband, Vashistha, on her back. Saturn, O king, can be seen, troubling the constellation Rohini. The deer-sign in the moon has strangely changed positions – this foretells something powerfully terrorizing will occur. Though there are no clouds in the sky, a terrible roar comes from it. The animals are weeping copiously.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Cows are birthing jackasses and some of those jackasses are incestuous. Trees in the forests are bearing blossoms and fruit out of season. Quite pregnant and not-as-pregnant women are birthing monsters. Carnivorous beasts are mixing with carnivorous birds and eating together. Beasts that foretell evil are being born with three horns, four eyes, five legs, an extra sex organ, an extra head, two tails, fierce teeth, and gaping mouths that make profane cries. Horses are being born missing a leg, born with crests, born with just four teeth, and born with horns. O king, the women of your city who chant the name ‘Brahma’ are birthing eagles and peacocks. Mares are birthing female calves, female dogs, O king, are birthing jackals and roosters, and antelopes and parrots are crying out profanely. Women are giving birth to four or five girls at once who are born dancing, singing, and laughing. The members of the lowest castes are laughing, dancing, and singing – this foretells a terrible future. As if Death were goading them, babies are picking up pictures of weapons and attacking one another, clubs in hand – they want to destroy the towns they themselves built for pleasure. Various lotuses and lilies are growing on trees; powerful winds are blowing fiercely and the dust never stops getting kicked up. The earthquakes never stop and Rahu is nearing the sun. Ketu is at rest, having gone beyond the constellation Chitra. All this means the Kurus will be destroyed. A fierce comet is rising, troubling the constellation Pushya. Mother Earth herself will make great mischief for both armies. Mars is wandering toward Magha and Jupiter is wandering toward Sravana. Saturn is nearing the constellation Bhaga and troubling it. Sukra, going up towards Purva Bhadra, is shining brilliantly and wandering toward Uttara Bhadra; it looks at it, having created a meeting-place for a smaller planet and itself. Ketu, flaring up like smoke mixing with fire, is still, having attacked the bright constellation Jeshtha that’s sacred to Indra. The constellation Dhruva, blazing fiercely, is wandering towards the right. Both the moon and the sun are troubling Rohini. The fierce planet, Rahu, has situated itself between the constellations Chitra and Swati. Mars, shining like fire, is wandering indirectly but traveling on the same path as the constellation Sravana that’s dominated by Vrihaspati. The soil that yields certain crops at certain seasons is yielding the crops of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each stalk of barley has five ears and each rice-stalk has a hundred ears. The top earthly creature – the one the universe depends on – the cow – offers its calves milk and offers humans blood. Beaming rays of light shine from bows and swords shine out brilliantly – it’s plain to see that weapons are foreseeing the battle. The weapons, the water, the mail-coats, and the flags are fire-colored. A great slaughter will take place. In this battle, O Bharata tribesman, the one between the Kurus and the Pandavas, the earth will turn into a blood-river with warrior-flags for rafts. Animals and birds, on all sides, their mouths ablaze like fire, are making fierce cries and foretelling bad omens – they are visible, bad omens and they foretell a terrible future. A fierce bird missing a wing, an eye, and a leg hovers over the night-sky, screaming furiously in a terrifying way as if it wants to make its listeners vomit blood. It seems, great king, that all weapons are now ablaze, brilliant. The shine of the constellation known as The Seven Mahatma-Rishis has lessened. The two blazing planets, Jupiter and Saturn, having neared the constellation Visakha, will rest there for a year. Three lunar months, crossing paths twice on the same lunar fortnight, have the second meeting cut short by two days. So, on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the moon and sun will be troubled by Rahu on a night when there’s a full moon. The quite strange eclipses, both lunar and solar, foretell a great slaughter. The world’s four quarters, overpowered by dust-showers, look doomed. Fierce clouds, omens foretelling danger, create blood-showers at night. The evil-deed-doer named Rahu is also, O king, troubling the constellation Kirtika. Rough winds, foretelling powerful danger, never stop blowing. All this means a war that will have many sad events.
"Now, there are three kinds of constellations and three kinds of kings. A planet that’s a bad omen has darkened each kind of constellation and that means the three kinds of kings are doomed. Now, a lunar fortnight is typically fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen days, so I was unaware that the day of a new moon would be on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, or rather that the day of a full-moon would be on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. But, in the first lunar month, both the moon and the sun have experienced eclipses thirteen days after the first lunar month began. So, because the sun and moon have experienced eclipses when they’re not scheduled to, earthly creatures will experience a powerful slaughter. Yes, Rakshasas will swallow mouthfuls of blood but not be satisfied. The great rivers are flowing in the wrong directions, the river-water has become bloody, and the well-water is bubbling and lowing like bulls. Meteors, shining like Indra’s thunderbolt, fall to the earth with loud hisses. Tomorrow, bad omens will overpower you. People, ready to gather together, exiting their homes with lit torches, will find themselves bathed in utter gloom. Great rishis have said that when these things happen the ground drinks the blood of thousands of kings. Explosion after explosion has been heard from Mount Kailasa, Mount Mandara, and Mount Himavat; thousands of peaks are crumbling. Due to the earthquakes, each of the four oceans has swollen greatly, seemingly ready to go beyond the continents and trouble the world. Fierce winds, energized by sharp pebbles, are blowing, crushing mighty trees. In villages and towns, trees, plain and holy, are falling down, crushed by mighty winds and struck by lightning. The sacrifice-fire, when Brahmins pour libations onto it, is turning blue, red, or yellow. Its flames lean left and smell bad; one can hear sharp, loud noises. Touch, smell, and taste have, O king, become what they are not. The flags of warriors, shaking over and over again, are emitting smoke. Drums and cymbals are shaking off coal-dust-showers. From the tops of tall trees here and there, crows, wandering in circles counter-clockwise, are cawing powerfully. All of them cry out in a terrifying way: Ready! Ready!. They’re perched atop flags and want to destroy kings. Vicious elephants, shaking from head to toe, are running here and there, urinating and defecating. Horses are melancholy and elephants are looking for shelter in water. Hear all this and do that which is right so that, O Bharata tribesman, the world’s population does not disappear.
"Hearing his father’s words, Dhritarashtra said: Methinks this was planned for long ago. A great slaughter of men will take place. If kings die in battle following their case-based duties, they’ll, having earned the worlds meant for heroes, earn happiness and it alone. These tigrine men, throwing away their lives in a great battle, will earn fame on earth and immortal bliss in the next world.
"O best of kings, having been thusly addressed by his son, Dhritarashtra, the Prince of Poets, the muni named Vyasa, focused his mind on supreme, holy yoga. Having contemplated for only a short time, Vyasa continued: Surely, O King of Kings, Time destroys the universe and creates the worlds. Everything of earth is temporary. Show the Kurus, your kinsmen, your relatives, and your friends the way towards righteousness – you can hold them back. Killing kinsmen has been called a sin. Don’t displease me. O king, Death has been reborn as your son. In The Vedas, slaughter is not praised; it can never be beneficial. Lines are put to use like the body is. That which is stopped being made use of will destroy the one who stops everything. To destroy this line and those world-leaders, Time is making you take the wrong path like one who’s troubled does, despite the fact that you are good enough to walk the path of righteousness. Misfortune, disguised as your kingdom, has come to you, O king. Your virtue, though much of it has disappeared, has survived. Show your sons what righteousness is. O invincible one, what value does your kingdom have if it brings you sin? Take care of your good name, your virtue, and your fame and you’ll earn Heaven. Let the Pandavas have their kingdom; let the Kauravas have peace.
"Whilst the top Brahmin was saying this sorrowfully, Dhritarashtra, the son of Ambika who was eloquent, said to him: I know life and death like you do; I know the truth about them. Men, when it comes to personal interests, lack judgment. O sire, know me to be ordinary; you have immeasurable power. I pray you – help us. You, one whose soul is controlled to a t, are our shelter and teacher. My sons disobey me, great Rishi. Due to my sense of comprehension, I don’t want to sin. You’re behind the fame, success, and desire for virtue the Bharatas have. You’re the respected grandfather of the Kurus and Pandavas.
"And Vyasa said: O royal son of Vichitravirya, feel free to tell me what’s on your mind. I’ll quell your doubts. So Dhritarashtra said: O holy one, I want to hear from you about which omens indicate victory. And Vyasa said: A sacred fire takes on a cheery shine and its light sails upwards, its flame leaning towards the right. It flares up without being smoky. The libations poured onto it create a perfumey smell. That, it is said, foretells future success. Conchs and cymbals make sounds that are deep and loud; the sun’s beams and moon’s beams are pure and radiant – those are two signs of future success. Crows, whether at rest or flying, make pleasant sounds – if crows fly behind warriors, goading them onward, it’s a good omen, and if they fly before them, it’s a bad sign, meaning the warriors should not advance. When vultures, swans, parrots, cranes, and woodpeckers cry out pleasantly and wander toward the right, Brahmins say victory in battle is certain. Regiments that, due to decorations, mail-coats, flags, or melodiously neighing horses, shine so brightly men cannot look directly at them always conquer their foes. Men who cry out cheerfully – warriors, O Bharata tribesman, whose energy does not lessen and whose leis do not fade – always cross the battle-sea. Those who cry out cheerfully, having forced their way into the enemy’s armies – those who say kind words to the enemy – those who forewarn their enemy before striking – are victorious. That which the five senses desire that never change for the worse become favorable. Here is another omen of a successful army – constant joy among the warriors. Here is another omen of success – winds that blow, the clouds and the birds becoming favorable whilst the quite favorable clouds and the rainbows make it rain in a beneficial way. Those omens, O king, mean the armies will be crowned with success and everyone else will experience failure and destruction. Whether the army is small or large, cheerfulness, when it comes to warriors’ emotions, is a sure sign of victory. A single panic-stricken soldier can terrify a great army and send its men scattering. When an entire army, panic-stricken, flees, it makes even heroic warriors flee. If a large army is broken up, it’s hard to make them pause – the men are like a panic-stricken herd of deer or a mighty current. If a large army is broken up, it cannot be regrouped – no, when they see that it’s broken, even those well-skilled in warfare, O Bharata tribesman, turn heartless. Seeing fear-stricken and fleeing soldiers, the panic spreads – soon, O king, the entire army is broken up and it scatters in all directions. When an army breaks up, even brave leaders, O king, who lead large regiments that contain the four kinds of forces cannot regroup them. A wise man, always making use of himself by acting, should try to be successful by way of tools. It is said that success is the best of the best when negotiation and other ways are behind it. Success that comes when the enemy disbands is so-so. Success, O king, that comes from fighting is the lowliest. Much evil comes from fighting, the first bad thing being slaughter. Just fifty men who know one another, who are depressed, who have no connections to family, and who are solidly determined can crush a large army. Just five, six, or seven men who refuse to flee can be victorious. Vinata’s son Garuda, O Bharata tribesman, when he sees a great flock of birds, doesn’t ask any devotee to help him defeat them. Thus, an army, no matter if its size strengthens it, can still fail. One cannot be utterly certain of victory; it depends on fate. Even the victorious must experience failure at some point.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Having said this to Dhritarashtra, Vyasa departed. Dhritarashtra, having heard what Vyasa had said, began silently reflecting. A short time later, he began sighing over and over again. Not long after that, O taurine Bharata tribesman, the king spoke to Sanjaya, one whose soul was worthy of praise: O Sanjaya, these kings – these world-leaders – these quite brave ones who take delight in fighting – are, for the sake of cutting one another down by way of various weapons, making ready to die for the sake of the world. Unable to be held back, they’re truly cutting one another down to make the population of Yama’s world grow. Wishing to prosper by way of winning the world, they find one another intolerable. So I, therefore, think the world must have many qualities. Tell me what they are, Sanjaya, for, thousands – millions – tens of millions – hundreds of millions – of heroic men have gathered together at Kurujangala. I want to hear, your details accurate, O Sanjaya, about the countries and cities these men come from. What’s it like there? How large are those places? Due to the power of the reborn rishi with immeasurable energy named Vyasa, you possess the lamp of divine sight and the eye of knowledge.
"And Sanjaya said: O quite wise one, I’ll recall the world’s merits to the best of my knowledge – visualize them with your eye of knowledge. I bow to you, taurine Bharata tribesman. Now, the creatures of earth can either move or be still. Those that do come from eggs, were born live, came from heat, or came from something damp. The top moving creatures are surely the ones born live and the best of those born live are men and other animals. Animals, things that come in a variety of shapes, have fourteen varieties – half live in the forest and half man has domesticated. Lions, tigers, boars, buffalo, elephants, bears, and apes, O king, are the seven wild kinds of animals. Cows, goats, sheep, humans, horses, mules, and jackasses are the seven domesticated kinds of animals (for so the educated believe). These, O king, are the fourteen kinds of animals, the domesticated and the wild spoken of, O Lord of Earth, in The Vedas; they’re rooted in sacrifices. Humans are the top domesticated animal and lions are the best animal of the forest. All creatures survive by depending on other creatures. Plants are said to not move and there are four kinds of them – trees, shrubs, vines, vines with a life-span of a year, and grasses without stems. So, there are nineteen kinds of creatures (the moving and the not moving). Since there are five universal elements within both moving and non-moving creatures, there are twenty-four things in all and those twenty-four things represent Gayatri (the mantra inspiring righteous wisdom) and Brahma, one everyone knows. He who knows that these twenty-four things make up the sacred Gayatri, something that has each and every virtue, cannot be blamed, top Bharata tribesman, for earthly destruction. Everything comes from the earth and everything, when it is destroyed, becomes one with it. Mother Earth houses and shelters all creatures; she is immortal. The man who has the world has the entire universe, including the moving and still creatures that belong to it. Kings slay one another because they want the world.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Dhritarashtra said: Tell me everything about the rivers, mountains, provinces, and everything else that rests on earth, O Sanjaya. What are their measurements? You know the measurements of all earthly things, including forests, O Sanjaya. Tell me everything in detail.
"And Sanjaya said: Great king, because the five elements are within them, each thing of the universe is equal to every other thing of it – the wise have said so. The five elements are the cosmos, air, fire, water, and earth. The cosmos’ quality is sound, air’s quality is touch, fire’s quality is sight, water’s quality is taste, and earth’s quality is smell. Each element also possesses the quality or qualities of the element named before it or after it. So, earth is the supreme element because it has, according to the rishis who know truth, sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell. Water, O king, has four qualities – smell, in its basest form, is not within it. Fire has sound, touch, and sight in their elemental form. Since sound and touch in their elemental forms belong to air, the only thing cosmos has is sound in its elemental form. These five qualities, O king, exist thusly within the five main elements; all creatures of the universe depend on them. When the universe is a homogenous mass, they exist both individually and independently. But, when they are not elemental – when they are together – creatures come to life, possessive of bodies. This is the way it always is. When the five elements are destroyed, the first merges with the second, the second merges with the third, and so on; when they come to life, each element comes to life because of the element that sprang to life before it. Each element is immeasurable; each one’s shape is Brahman. In the universe, creatures possessive of all five elements can be seen. Men try to understand their divisions by making use of their sense of reason, but matters that cannot be understood should never be attempted to be understood using a sense of reason – anything that goes beyond human nature means it’s impossible to understand. But, O son of Kuru, I will describe Sudarsana Island to you. The island is circular; it’s shaped like a wheel. It’s crowded with rivers and other bodies of water; it has mountains that look like cloud-banks, cities, and many delightful provinces. It’s full of trees that have flowers and fruits; it has a variety of crops and other enriching things. The salty sea utterly surrounds that island; just as a man is able to see his reflection in a mirror, Sudarsana Island can be seen in the moon. Two sections of the island look like a sacred fig tree and two other sections of it look like a great hare. It’s utterly surrounded by a group of plants that shed their leaves annually – one can see each specie there is. The remaining parts are watery; the remaining parts will be described to you shortly. Listen now to my brief description.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Dhritarashtra said: You are wise, Sanjaya, and you know the truth about everything. You’ve described the island briefly. Tell us now about the island in detail. What is the measurement of the land that lies in the part that looks like a hare? Then tell us about the part shaped like a sacred fig tree. At the king’s words, Sanjaya began: Stretching from east to west are six mountains whose measurements are all equivalent. They span from the eastern to the western sea. Their names are: Himavat, Hemakuta, the supreme mountain called Nishadha, Nila (one with plenty of lapis lazuli), Sweta (the one as white as the moon), and the Sringavat mountain-range that has all kinds of metals. These are the six mountains, O king, and Siddhas and Charanas always vacation there. The gap between each mountain and its neighbor is always eight-thousand miles; many delightful kingdoms sit in those empty spaces. These gaps are called varshas, O Bharata tribesman, and within each kingdom live various kinds of creatures. This place is the varsha called Bharata, the next gap over is Himavat, the third gap, beyond Hemakuta, is Harivarsha, and, south of the Nila mountain-range and north of Nishadha is Mount Malyavat, O king; it stretches from east to west. Beyond Malyavat, to the north, is Mount Gandhamadana. Between Mount Malyavat and Mount Gandhamadana is a spherical mountain called Meru that’s made of gold. As radiant as the morning sun, it’s like smoke-less fire. Its height and depth is six-hundred-and-seventy-two-thousand miles. It supports the worlds above, the worlds below, and the worlds to its left and right. Next to Mount Meru are, O Lord, four islands – Bhadraswa, Ketumala, Jambudwipa (or Bharata), and Uttarkuru (the place for those who’ve earned meritous righteousness).
"Now, Suparna’s son, a bird called Sumukha, when he saw that all the birds of Mount Meru had golden feathers, decided he should leave the mountain – this meant to him that good, so-so, and evil birds were all equal there. The supreme light, the sun, always circles Mount Meru; the moon, his servant-constellation, and the God of Wind do too. That mountain, O king, has, in a natural way, divine fruits and flowers; it’s utterly populated with golden mansions. Upon that mountain, O king, divinities, Gandharvas, Asuras, and Rakshasas always play with all the Apsaras. There, Brahma, Rudra, and Shakra (the divinities’ chief), when gathered together, perform a variety of sacrifices and offer plenty of gifts. Tumburu, Narada, Viswavasu, the Hahas, and the Huhus have gone there and shown their love for the top divinities by way of various hymns. The seven mahatmas, the rishis and Kasyapa (Lord of Creatures) go there (blessings to you) each time there’s both a full and new moon on the same night. At the top of the mountain, Usanas (The Poet) plays with his devotees, the Daityas. The jewels and gems we see – the mountains that have plenty of precious stones – all come from Mount Meru. A quarter of them is enjoyed by holy Kuvera and one-sixteenth of that quarter is how much of those riches he gives to men. On the north side of Meru is a delightful, excellent forest that had maple-leaf buyars, was blanketed by flowers from each season, and took up a group of hills. There, noteworthy Pasupati, the creator of all things, surrounded by his divine servants and along with Uma, plays, wearing a chain of maple-leaf buyar-blossoms around his neck that touches his feet and blazes with brilliance, his three eyes like three risen suns. He can be seen by Siddhas who tell the truth, keep to their excellent vows, and keep to their austere, abstentious penance. No, Maheswara cannot be seen by those who are wicked. From the mountain-peak, like a milk-stream, O ruler of men, sacred and auspicious Ganga (Bhagirathi), beloved by the most righteous of all, she being the one with a universal shape who is immeasurable and one who flows away quite loudly, cascades with bold force into delightful Lake Chandramas. Yes, that sacred lake, like an ocean, was created by Ganga – as she leapt down from the mountains, Ganga, unable to be supported by them, was supported for a hundred millennia by the one who carried Pinaka on his head. On the western side of Meru, O king, is Ketumala and Jambukhanda. Each, O king, is a great humanity-seat. There, O Bharata tribesman, men live for ten millennia; the men have golden complexions, the women are like Apsaras, the residents are always cheerful and never succumb to sickness nor feel sorrow, and the men born there shine like molten gold. Upon the peaks of the Gandhamadanan range, Kuvera, the Lord of Guhyakas, along with many Rakshasas and all the Apsaras, has a joyful time. Besides Gandhamadana there are many smaller mountains and hills; the men who live on those smaller mountains and hills live for eleven millennia. There, O king, the men are cheerful and have powerful energy and strength naturally; the women look like lotuses and are quite beautiful. Beyond Nila is the varsha called Sweta, beyond Sweta is the varsha called Hiranyaka, beyond Hiranyaka is the varsha called Airavata (one covered with provinces), and the two last varshas I will mention are Bharata’s varsha in the extreme north and Bharata's varsha in the extreme south – each, O king, is bow-shaped. Sweta, Hiranyaka, Elavrita, Harivarsha, and Haimavatvarsha are in the middle – Elavrita is in the exact center. Of these seven varshas (the five already mentioned plus Airavata and Bharata), the one that’s further north is better than the one that is its closest neighbor to the south when it comes to qualities – life-span, height, health, righteousness, pleasure, and profit. In these varshas, O Bharata tribesman, creatures, no matter what specie they are, live together. So, O king, earth is covered with mountains – the great Hemakutan range is also called Kailasa. Vaisravana goes there and joyfully vacations with his Guhyakas. The closest neighbor to the north – the one near the range of Mainaka – is a huge and beautiful mountain-range called Manimaya that has naturally golden peaks. Beside it is a large, beautiful, crystal, and delightful lake called Vindusaras whose shore has golden sands. There, King Bhagiratha, seeing the Ganges because he was named for its goddess, lived for many years. One can see there countless numbers of sacrifice-posts made of gems as well as a golden tree-shrine. There, the thousand-eyed one of great fame earned abstentious success by performing sacrifices. There, the Lord of All Creatures – the immortal Creator of All Worlds – the one with natural supreme energy surrounded by his spirit-like servants – is beloved. There, Nara, Narayana, Brahma, Manu, and Sthanu are ever-present. There, the divine Ganges – one with three separate branches whose source is Brahma’s world – first appeared and then divvied herself up into seven branches (the Vaswokasara, Nalini, the purging Saraswati, the Jambunadi, Sita, Ganges, and the Sindhu). The supreme Lord arranged for this to happen to the incomprehensible, divine stream. There, sacrifices have been performed by gods and rishis a thousand times after creation has begun and an age is over. As for the Saraswati, it is sometimes visible and sometimes not when it flows. The divine, seven-part Ganga is known the three worlds over. Rakshasas live atop Himavat, Guhyakas live atop Hemakuta, snakes and Nagas live atop Nishadha, and ascetics live atop Gokarna. The Swetan mountain-range is said to be the home of the divinities and the Asuras. The Gandharvas always live atop the Nishadhan range and the reborn rishis always live atop Nila. The Sringavatan range is also seen as a vacation-spot for the divinities. Thus, great king, there are seven varshas on Earth and this is how they’re separated. Various creatures, both moving and still, are situated within each one.Various kinds of enriching things, both favoring and man-made, can be seen within them – their number is impossible to be counted. Those who wish to do themselves some good believe these things. Now, I’ve explained to you about that delightful place shaped like a hare; the one you asked me about. The two gaps of that place lying the furthest away – the northern one and the southern one – have now been described to you. The two islands, Nagadwipa and Kasyapadwipa, are the ones on either side of the hare-shaped place. The beautiful mountains that make up the Maleyan range, O king, whose rocks are like copper-plates, make up another important part of Jambudwipa whose shape is a hare.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Dhritarashtra said: O quite wise one – O Sanjaya – tell me about the regions to the north and east side of Mount Meru as well as the mountain-range of Malyavat to the letter.
"So Sanjaya said: To the south of Mount Nila and to the north of Mount Meru is the holy mountain-range, the lands of the Kurus of the north, O king; the Siddhas live thereon. The trees there bear sweet fruits and are always covered with fruits and flowers. The flowers there are perfumey and the fruits taste excellent. Some of the trees, O king, bear just the kind of fruit the picker desires. Other trees, O king, constantly offer milk as well as offer the six kinds of food that taste like Amrita. Those kinds of trees also offer cloth; decorations are within their fruits for men to use. All the land has plenty of fine, golden sand. Some of the land, supremely delightful, is seen to have the sheen of a ruby, a diamond, lapis lazuli, other jewels, or other gems. All the seasons there are pleasant; the land never becomes swampy, O king. The pools are charming, delicious, and full of crystal water. If a man is born there, it means he’s fallen from the divinities’ world – each man born there is of pure birth and looks exceedingly handsome. When twins are born, one is a boy and the other a girl; the women are as beautiful as Apsaras. They drink the sweet-as-Amrita milk that comes from the aforementioned milk-bearing trees. The boy-twin and the girl-twin are raised equally, are equally beautiful, are blessed with similar virtues, are given the same clothes, and are both raised with love, O king, as if they were ruddy shelducks. The people of that country never succumb to illness and are always cheerful. Men there live for eleven millennia, O king, and each is always there for the other. When men die there, Bharundas, with sharp-beaks and naturally great strength, carry them to mountain-caves and toss them in. Now, I’ve described to you, O king, about the lands of the Northern Kurus. I will now describe to you about the east side of Mount Meru. Of all the locations therein, O king, the best one is called Bhadraswa – there is a great grove of Bhadrasalas and a large tree called a Kalamra. That tree, O king, always has fruits and flowers; it’s eight miles high and beloved by Siddhas and Charanas. The men of that place have white skin, are naturally quite energetic, and are naturally quite strong. The women, quite beautiful, look like lilies and are pleasing to the eye. As naturally shiny and as white as the moon, their faces look like a full moon. Their bodies are cooling like moonbeams and they are talented singers and dancers. The people that live there, taurine Bharata tribesman, live for ten millennia. The Kalamra is a fountain of youth; it makes the people eternally youthful. To the south of Nila and to the north of Nishadha is a huge rose apple tree that’s immortal. Beloved by Siddhas and Charanas, the holy tree grants all wishes. Because of that tree, the place was named Jambudwipa, or Rose Apple Island. O taurine Bharata tribesman, that Prince of Trees is eight-thousand-eighty-eight miles high; it touches the heavens, O King of Men. When a fruit from that tree ripens and bursts, that fruit is two-hundred-fifty feet around. When the fruit hits the ground and makes a loud noise, it doles out a silvery liquid. The liquid, O king, becomes a river that flows around Meru and arrives at the land of the Northern Kurus. If anyone drinks that liquid, it brings peace-of-mind and the consumer is never thirsty again, O king – rotting away never weakens that person. There, a type of gold called Jambunada used for divine decorations that looks like lac is made. The men born there look like the morning sun. Atop Malyavat can always be seen, O taurine Bharata tribesman, a fire called Samvataka that blazes at the end of the age to destroy the universe. Toward the east, atop Malyavat, are many small mountains. Malyavat itself, O king, is eighty-eight thousand miles. The men born there look like gold, have fallen from Brahma’s world, and chant the name Brahman. They practice extremely ascetic austerities and are continent. All the men there enter the sun to protect creatures. Sixty-six thousand in number, they surround the sun and go before Aruna. Heated with the sun’s rays for sixty-six thousand years, they then enter the moon.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Dhritarashtra said: Tell me the truth, O Sanjaya – what are the names of each varsha? Each mountain? Each creature that lives on one of those mountains? Sanjaya said: To the south of Sweta and to the north of Nishadha is the varsha called Romanaka. The men who are born there have white skin, come from goodly parentage, and look handsome; they have no enemies. They live, O king, for eleven-and-a-half millennia and always have cheerful hearts. To the south of Nishadha is a varsha called Hiranmaya; the Hiranwati flows therein. There, O king, dwells the top bird named Garuda. The people there, O king, serve the Yakshas, are wealthy, and are handsome. O king, the men there have naturally great strength and cheerful hearts. Their life-span is twelve-and-a-half millennia. The Sringavatan range, O ruler of men, includes three beautiful peaks – one is made of jewels, one is made of gems, and the third, quite wonderful, is made of all kinds of gems and decorated with palatial mansions. There, the self-luminous lady named Sandili has lived and will always live. To the north of Sringavat and up to the edge of the sea, O king, is a varsha called Airavat. Because a bejeweled mountain is there, that varsha is the best. The sun offers no warmth there but men do not rot. The moon and the stars, the only light-sources, blanket the sky. Possessive of the shine and look of a lotus with eyes that naturally resemble lotus-petals, the men born there smell like lotuses. Their eyes do not blink but their natural scent is pleasant; they never eat but their senses are controlled to a t. The men there have fallen from the divinities’ world but all, O king, have never sinned and will never sin. Their life-span, top Bharata tribesman, is thirteen millennia. To the north of the milk-sea lives Lord Hari, one with boundless strength who lives on his golden chariot. The vehicle naturally has eight wheels; numerous otherworldly creatures stay in it; it moves at mind-speed. The vehicle looks like fire, has naturally mighty energy, and it has Jambunadan gold. Lord Hari is the Lord of All Creatures, taurine Bharata tribesman – he has, naturally, all kinds of prosperity. Within him, at the end of the world, does the universe unite; he births the universe when the desire to create overwhelms him. He is The Actor but he is the holy one who makes all others act. He, O king, is earth, water, the cosmos, air, and fire. To all creatures he is sacrifice itself; the holy one’s mouth is fire itself.
"Mahatma King Dhritarashtra, having been thusly spoken to by Sanjaya, now became absorbed in meditation about his children. Naturally quite energetic, he then, upon reflection, said: Surely, O son of a Suta, Time both destroys the universe and creates all. Nara and Narayana, naturally omniscient, destroy all creatures. The gods call him Vaikuntha because he has boundless strength and men call him Vishnu because he pervades the holy universe.’”
“Vaisampayana said,
‘Dhritarashtra said: Tell me the truth, O Sanjaya, about the varsha named for Bharata; foolish warriors have gathered there; because of that, my son Duryodhana has turned quite jealous; because of that, too, the adopted sons of Pandu want something; because of that, too, my mind is sinking. Oh, tell me everything – to me, you are naturally wise.