DESCRIPTION OF JAMBU DWÍPA.

The legends regarding the six islands being beyond the limits of credi­bility, I put them aside and confine myself to a few particulars regarding Jambu.

Dividing the ocean, at each of the four cardinal directions with relation to the equatorial line, stands a city whose fenced walls are of bricks of gold. 1. Yamakóṭi. The earth's longitude is reckoned from this, but in the Greek treatises the Hindu canon is said to be based (as 0° of longitude) on Gangdizh,* the Greeks being really unaware from what point their longitude was taken. 2. Lanka.* 3. Siddhapúra. 4. Romaka. Each of these is distant 90 degrees from its neighbour and 180° from that which is opposite to it. The mountain Suméru is distant 90° from each. The northern sides of these lie under the equinoctial circle which in Sanskrit is called Vishavad-vṛitta.* This circle passes over the zenith of the inhabitants of these four cities, and the sun twice in the year reaches the zenith, and day and night throughout the year are nearly equal. The greatest altitude of the sun is 90.° His progression is from Lanka to Romaka, from thence to Siddhapúra, continuing to Yamakoṭi and back to Lanka. When the sun is in the meridian of Yamakoṭi, it is sunrise at Lanka, sunset at Siddhapúra, and midnight at Romaka, and when it is midday in Lanka, it rises at Romaka, sets at Yamakoṭi, and is midnight at Siddhapúra. When he is in the meridian of Romaka, it is sunrise at Siddhapúra, sunset at Lanka and midnight at Yamakoṭi. When in the meridian of Siddhapúra, the sun rises at Yamakoṭi, sets at Romaka and it is midnight at Lanka. There is a difference of 15 ghaṛis between each of these four places.

Again, north of Lanka towards Suméru there are said to be three mountains: Himáchala,* Hemakúṭa and Nishadha. These three mountains in this order stretch across from the shore of the eastern sea to the western quarter. From Siddhapúra to Suméru also are three other ranges. ´Sṛinga-vanta, ´Sukla, and Níla. There is another mountain between Yama­koṭi and Suméru, called Mályavanta adjoining Nishadha and Níla, and another between Romaka and Suméru called Gandhamádana whose extremes meet the same two ranges.

Extraordinary are the legends regarding these mountains which can­not here be particularised, but something shall be set down of the region between Lanka and Himáchala, and a little stand exemplar for much. This intervening country is called Bhárata-khaṇḍa. Bhárata was a mighty sovereign and this tract was named after him. From Lanka to Himáchala which is 52 degrees, the country is inhabited, the settlements being particularly frequent up to the 48th degree, and less so through the remaining four, on account of the extreme cold.

According to their supposition a celestial degree is equal to 14 yojanas on earth; the whole fifty-two degrees therefore are 728 yojanas which they consider to represent the habitable world. Between Himáchala and Hema­kúṭa lies Kinnara-khaṇḍa comprising 12 degrees of latitude. Between Hema­kúṭa and Nishadha is Harikhaṇḍa comprising the same number of degrees. Between Siddhapúra and ´Sṛinga-vanta is Kuru-khaṇḍa occupying 52 degrees. Between ´Sṛinga-vanta and Shukla lies Hiraṇmaya-khaṇḍ with 12 degrees of latitude, the whole of which is of gold. Between Shukla and Níla is the tract called Ramyaka-khaṇḍa comprising the same number of degrees of latitude, and between Yamakoṭi and Mályavanta is Bhadráśva-khaṇḍa with an extent of 76°. Intermediate between Gandhamádana and Romaka is Ketumála of 76°. Between Mályavanta, Gandhamádana, Nishadha and Níla is Ilávṛita and extends 14° on each quarter.* The superficial measurement of these nine divisions is said to be equal, though the breadth of some is less than that of others.

On the four sides of Suméru are four other mountains; that on the side of Yamakoṭi is called Mandara; that towards Lanka, Sugandha Parvata; on the Romaka quarter, Vipula, and towards Siddhapúra, Supárśva. The height of each is 18,000 yojanas.

The nine divisions of Jambu-dwípa having been recorded, I now proceed to relate some particulars of the first division, Bhárata-khaṇḍa. Between Lanka and Himáchala are said to be seven mountain ranges, extending from east to west and smaller than the former ranges. These are, Mahendra, ´Sukti, Malaya, Ṛiksha, Páriyátra, Sahya, Vindhyá.*

The tract between Lanka and Mahendra is called Indra-khaṇḍa; between it and ´Sukti, Kaser; between ´Sukti and Malaya, Támravarṇa; between Malaya and Ṛiksha, Gabhasti-mat; between Ṛiksha and Páriyátra, Nág­khaṇḍa; between Páriyátra and Sahya, Saumyakhaṇḍa. The tract between Sahya and Vindhyá is divided in two parts, the eastern of which is called Kumára-khaṇḍa, and the western Váruṇa-khaṇḍa*.

The upper half of the globe would be represented by the accompany­ing plate.

Lacuna.

The Hindus also divide the world into three regions. The upper is named Swar-loka, where the good receive the reward of their virtuous life. The middle region is Bhúr-loka, which is the abode of mankind. The lower is called Pátál-loka, where the wicked receive the punishment of their evil deeds.

The religious teachers of this creed conceive the world to be a super­ficies divided into fourteen parts. Seven superior, viz., Bhúr-loka, Swar-loka, Mahar-loka, Jana-loka, Tapo-loka and Satya-loka; and the same number inferior, Atala, Sutala, Vitala, Talátala, Mahátala, Rasátala, and Pátala.* They relate extraordinary legends regarding the inhabitants of each region which cannot be inserted in a summary narrative.

This people also speak of seven seas and seven islands (dwípas), and nine divisions of Jambu-dwípa, but there is considerable diversity in their order, extent and other particulars; as for instance, the mountain Suméru is reckoned to be 84,000 yojanas above ground, and 32,000 in breadth and 16,000 below the surface of the earth and the same in breadth. The habitable earth is not confined, they think, only to Bháratakhaṇḍa nor even to Jambu-dwípa. They say that beyond the ocean there is a land of gold* which is the abode of men. Their duration of life extends to a thousand years, neither more nor less. Sickness and grief come not nigh them, neither have they fear nor greed nor ignorance. They follow not evil speaking nor jealousy nor calumny and live in peace, in rectitude and in charity. They lose not the vigour of youth, neither are they invaded by weakness or decrepitude. They are of the same creed and race and have no distinction of food or clothing, and their wishes are gratified without toil. Of the other islands in like manner are wonderful legends told which the ordinary rigid formalist would not admit to a hearing, but do not surprise the adoring believer in Divine Omnipotence.

They also divide Kumárakhaṇḍa into two parts. The country where the black antelope is not found they call Mlechchha-deś,* and regard it with contempt and unworthy of existence. The region where that animal is indigenous is called Jag-deś, and it is subdivided into four parts. 1 A´rya­varta, bounded on the east and west by the ocean, and north and south by two mountain ranges of Hindustán: 2 Madhya-deś, to the east of which is Illahábás and to the west the river Vinásá, twenty-five kós from Thanesar, and bounded to the north and south by the same ranges. 3 Brahmarikh­deś (Brahmarshi), comprises five places: 1, Thanesar and its dependencies; 2, Bairáth (var. Pairáth); 3, Kampila (var. Kanílah), 4, Mathura; 5, Kanauj. 4 Brahmávarta, the fertile tract between the Sarsuti (Saraswati) and Rákasi (Drishadwati) rivers.