Eighth Skandha · Chapter 7
Sourceश्रीनारायण उवाच गिरी मेरुं च पूर्वेण द्वौ चाष्टादशयोजनैः । सहस्रैरायतौ चोदग्द्विसहस्रं पृथूच्चकौ ॥ १ ॥ जठरो देवकूटश्च तावेतौ गिरिवर्यकौ । मेरोः पश्चिमतोऽद्री द्वौ पवमानस्तथापरः ॥ २ ॥ पारियात्रश्च तौ तावद्विख्यातौ तुङ्गविस्तरौ । मेरोर्दक्षिणतः ख्यातौ कैलासकरवीरकौ ॥ ३ ॥ प्रागायतौ पूर्ववृत्तौ महापर्वतराजकौ । एवं चोत्तरतो मेरोस्त्रिशृङ्गमकरौ गिरी ॥ ४ ॥ एतैश्चाद्रिवरैरष्टसंख्यैः परिवृतो गिरिः । सुमेरुः काञ्चनगिरिः परिभ्राजन् रविर्यथा ॥ ५ ॥ मेरोर्मूर्धनि धातुर्हि पुरी पङ्कजजन्मनः । मध्यतश्चोपक्लृप्तेयं दशसाहस्रयोजनैः ॥ ६ ॥ समानचतुरस्रां च शातकौम्भमयीं पुरीम् । वर्णयन्ति महात्मानः परावरविदो बुधाः ॥ ७ ॥ तां पुरीमनुलोकानामष्टानामीशिषां पराः । पुर्यः प्रख्यातसौवर्णरूपास्ताश्च यथादिशम् ॥ ८ ॥ यथारूपं सार्धनेत्रसहस्रप्रमिताः कृताः । मेरोर्नव पुराणि स्युर्मनोवत्यमरावती ॥ ९ ॥ तेजोवती संयमनी तथा कृष्णाङ्गनापरा । श्रद्धावती गन्धवती तथा चान्या महोदया ॥ १० ॥ यशोवती च ब्रह्मेन्द्रवह्न्यादीनां यथाक्रमम् । तत्रैव यज्ञलिङ्गस्य विष्णोर्भगवतो विभोः ॥ ११ ॥ वामपादाङ्गुष्ठनखनिर्भिन्नस्य च नारद । अण्डोर्ध्वभागरन्ध्रस्य मध्यात्संविशती दिवः ॥ १२ ॥ मूर्धन्यवततारेयं गङ्गा संविशती विभो । लोकानामखिलानां च पापहारिजलाकुला ॥ १३ ॥ इयं च साक्षाद्भगवत्पदी लोकेषु विश्रुता । कालेन महता सा तु युगसाहस्रकेण तु ॥ १४ ॥ दिवो मूर्धानमागत्य देवी देवनदीश्वरी । यत्तद्विष्णुपदं नाम स्थानं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् ॥ १५ ॥ औत्तानपादिर्यत्रास्ते ध्रुवः परमपावनः । भगवत्पादयुगलं पद्मकोशरजो दधत् ॥ १६ ॥ अद्याप्यास्ते स राजर्षिः पदवीमचलां श्रितः । तत्र सप्तर्षयस्तस्य प्रभावज्ञा महाशयाः ॥ १७ ॥ प्रदक्षिणं प्रक्रमन्ति सर्वलोकहितेप्सवः । आत्यन्तिकी सिद्धिरियं तपतां सिद्धिदायिनी ॥ १८ ॥ आद्रियन्ते च शिरसा जटाजूटोषितेन च । ततो विष्णुपदाद्देवी नैकसाहस्रकोटिभिः ॥ १९ ॥ विमानैराकुले देवयानेऽवतरती च सा । चन्द्रमण्डलमाप्लाव्य पतन्ती ब्रह्यसद्यनि ॥ २० ॥ चतुर्धा भिद्यमाना सा ब्रह्मलोके च नारद । चतुर्भिर्नामभिर्देवी चतुर्दिशमभिसृता ॥ २१ ॥ सरितां च नदीनां च पतिमेवान्वपद्यत । सीता चालकनन्दा च चतुर्भद्रेति* नामभिः ॥ २२ ॥ *चक्षुर्भद्रेति? सीता च ब्रह्मसदनाच्छिखरेभ्यः क्षमाभृताम् । केसराभिधनाम्ना च प्रस्रवन्ती च स्वर्णदी ॥ २३ ॥ गन्धमादनमूर्ध्नीह पतिता पापहारिणी । अन्तरेण तु भद्राश्ववर्षं प्राच्यां समागता ॥ २४ ॥ क्षारोदधिं गता सा तु द्युनदी देवपूजिता । ततो माल्यवतः शृङ्गाद् द्वितीया परिनिर्गता ॥ २५ ॥ ततो वेगवती भूत्वा केतुमालं समागता । चक्षुर्नाम्नी देवनदी प्रतीच्यां दिश्युपागता ॥ २६ ॥ सरितां पतिमाविष्टा सा गङ्गा देववन्दिता । ततस्तृतीया धारा तु नाम्ना ख्याता च नारद ॥ २७ ॥ पुण्या चालकनन्दा वै दक्षिणेनाब्जभूपदात् । वनानि गिरिकूटानि समतिक्रम्य चागता ॥ २८ ॥ हेमकूटं गिरिवरं प्राप्तातोऽपीह निर्गता । अतिवेगवती भूत्वा भारतं चागतापरा ॥ २९ ॥ दक्षिणं जलधिं प्राप्ता तृतीया सा सरिद्वरा । यस्याः स्नानाय सरतां मनुजानां पदे पदे ॥ ३० ॥ राजसूयाश्वमेधादि फलं तु न हि दुर्लभम् । ततश्चतुर्थी धारा तु भृङ्गवत्पर्वतात्पुनः ॥ ३१ ॥ भद्राभिधा संस्रवन्ती कुरून्सन्तर्प्य चोत्तरान् । समुद्रं समनुप्राप्ता गङ्गा त्रैलोक्यपावनी ॥ ३२ ॥ अन्ये नदाश्च नद्यश्च वर्षे वर्षेऽपि सन्ति हि । बहुशो मेरुमन्दारप्रसूताश्चैव नारद ॥ ३३ ॥ तत्रापि भारतं वर्षं कर्मक्षेत्रमुशन्ति हि । अन्यानि चाष्टवर्षाणि भौमस्वर्गप्रदानि च ॥ ३४ ॥ स्वर्गिणां पुण्यशेषस्य भोगस्थानानि नारद । पुरुषाणां चायुतायुर्वज्राङ्गा देवसन्निभाः ॥ ३५ ॥ पुरुषा नागसाहस्रैर्दशभिः परिकल्पिताः । महासौरतसन्तुष्टाः कलत्राढ्याः सुखान्विताः ॥ ३६ ॥ एकवर्षोनके चायुष्याप्तगर्भाः स्त्रियोऽपि हि । त्रेतायुगसमः कालो वर्तते सर्वदैव हि ॥ ३७ ॥
śrīnārāyaṇa uvāca girī meruṃ ca pūrveṇa dvau cāṣṭādaśayojanaiḥ | sahasrairāyatau codagdvisahasraṃ pṛthūccakau || 1 || jaṭharo devakūṭaśca tāvetau girivaryakau | meroḥ paścimato'drī dvau pavamānastathāparaḥ || 2 || pāriyātraśca tau tāvadvikhyātau tuṅgavistarau | merordakṣiṇataḥ khyātau kailāsakaravīrakau || 3 || prāgāyatau pūrvavṛttau mahāparvatarājakau | evaṃ cottarato merostriśṛṅgamakarau girī || 4 || etaiścādrivarairaṣṭasaṃkhyaiḥ parivṛto giriḥ | sumeruḥ kāñcanagiriḥ paribhrājan raviryathā || 5 || merormūrdhani dhāturhi purī paṅkajajanmanaḥ | madhyataścopaklṛpteyaṃ daśasāhasrayojanaiḥ || 6 || samānacaturasrāṃ ca śātakaumbhamayīṃ purīm | varṇayanti mahātmānaḥ parāvaravido budhāḥ || 7 || tāṃ purīmanulokānāmaṣṭānāmīśiṣāṃ parāḥ | puryaḥ prakhyātasauvarṇarūpāstāśca yathādiśam || 8 || yathārūpaṃ sārdhanetrasahasrapramitāḥ kṛtāḥ | merornava purāṇi syurmanovatyamarāvatī || 9 || tejovatī saṃyamanī tathā kṛṣṇāṅganāparā | śraddhāvatī gandhavatī tathā cānyā mahodayā || 10 || yaśovatī ca brahmendravahnyādīnāṃ yathākramam | tatraiva yajñaliṅgasya viṣṇorbhagavato vibhoḥ || 11 || vāmapādāṅguṣṭhanakhanirbhinnasya ca nārada | aṇḍordhvabhāgarandhrasya madhyātsaṃviśatī divaḥ || 12 || mūrdhanyavatatāreyaṃ gaṅgā saṃviśatī vibho | lokānāmakhilānāṃ ca pāpahārijalākulā || 13 || iyaṃ ca sākṣādbhagavatpadī lokeṣu viśrutā | kālena mahatā sā tu yugasāhasrakeṇa tu || 14 || divo mūrdhānamāgatya devī devanadīśvarī | yattadviṣṇupadaṃ nāma sthānaṃ trailokyaviśrutam || 15 || auttānapādiryatrāste dhruvaḥ paramapāvanaḥ | bhagavatpādayugalaṃ padmakośarajo dadhat || 16 || adyāpyāste sa rājarṣiḥ padavīmacalāṃ śritaḥ | tatra saptarṣayastasya prabhāvajñā mahāśayāḥ || 17 || pradakṣiṇaṃ prakramanti sarvalokahitepsavaḥ | ātyantikī siddhiriyaṃ tapatāṃ siddhidāyinī || 18 || ādriyante ca śirasā jaṭājūṭoṣitena ca | tato viṣṇupadāddevī naikasāhasrakoṭibhiḥ || 19 || vimānairākule devayāne'vataratī ca sā | candramaṇḍalamāplāvya patantī brahyasadyani || 20 || caturdhā bhidyamānā sā brahmaloke ca nārada | caturbhirnāmabhirdevī caturdiśamabhisṛtā || 21 || saritāṃ ca nadīnāṃ ca patimevānvapadyata | sītā cālakanandā ca caturbhadreti* nāmabhiḥ || 22 || *cakṣurbhadreti? sītā ca brahmasadanācchikharebhyaḥ kṣamābhṛtām | kesarābhidhanāmnā ca prasravantī ca svarṇadī || 23 || gandhamādanamūrdhnīha patitā pāpahāriṇī | antareṇa tu bhadrāśvavarṣaṃ prācyāṃ samāgatā || 24 || kṣārodadhiṃ gatā sā tu dyunadī devapūjitā | tato mālyavataḥ śṛṅgād dvitīyā parinirgatā || 25 || tato vegavatī bhūtvā ketumālaṃ samāgatā | cakṣurnāmnī devanadī pratīcyāṃ diśyupāgatā || 26 || saritāṃ patimāviṣṭā sā gaṅgā devavanditā | tatastṛtīyā dhārā tu nāmnā khyātā ca nārada || 27 || puṇyā cālakanandā vai dakṣiṇenābjabhūpadāt | vanāni girikūṭāni samatikramya cāgatā || 28 || hemakūṭaṃ girivaraṃ prāptāto'pīha nirgatā | ativegavatī bhūtvā bhārataṃ cāgatāparā || 29 || dakṣiṇaṃ jaladhiṃ prāptā tṛtīyā sā saridvarā | yasyāḥ snānāya saratāṃ manujānāṃ pade pade || 30 || rājasūyāśvamedhādi phalaṃ tu na hi durlabham | tataścaturthī dhārā tu bhṛṅgavatparvatātpunaḥ || 31 || bhadrābhidhā saṃsravantī kurūnsantarpya cottarān | samudraṃ samanuprāptā gaṅgā trailokyapāvanī || 32 || anye nadāśca nadyaśca varṣe varṣe'pi santi hi | bahuśo merumandāraprasūtāścaiva nārada || 33 || tatrāpi bhārataṃ varṣaṃ karmakṣetramuśanti hi | anyāni cāṣṭavarṣāṇi bhaumasvargapradāni ca || 34 || svargiṇāṃ puṇyaśeṣasya bhogasthānāni nārada | puruṣāṇāṃ cāyutāyurvajrāṅgā devasannibhāḥ || 35 || puruṣā nāgasāhasrairdaśabhiḥ parikalpitāḥ | mahāsauratasantuṣṭāḥ kalatrāḍhyāḥ sukhānvitāḥ || 36 || ekavarṣonake cāyuṣyāptagarbhāḥ striyo'pi hi | tretāyugasamaḥ kālo vartate sarvadaiva hi || 37 ||
English translation
1-37. Narayana said Jathara and Devakuta are the two mountains situated on the east of Sumeru; their dimensions towards the north are eighteen thousand Yoyanas wide and two thousand Yoyanas high. On the west of Meru, are situated the two famous lofty mountains Pavamana and Pariyatra; their length and height are well known. On the south of Meru are situated the two lofty mountains Kailasa and Karavira. On the north, again, of the Sumeru mountain, are situated the mountains S'ringagiri and Makaragiri. Thus the golden Sumeru mountain, shines like the Sun, surrounded by these eight mountains. In the centre of the Sumeru, there is a Divine city built of the Creator Brahma, ten thousand Yoyanas in dimensions. The learned sages that know everything from the highest to the lowest, describe that as square in dimensions and all made of gold. On the top of the Sumeru, are situated the world known eight golden cities, subservient to the Brahmapuri, for the eight Lokapalas. The Lords of the four directions, east, west, north and south and of the four corners, north-east, north-west, south-west, south-east, occupy these. The dimensions of each of these eight cities are two thousand Yoyanas and a half. In fact, there are nine cities there including the Brahmapuri. Now hear the names of these nine cities in due order. The First is Manovati, the second is Amaravati, the third is Tejovati, next come in order Samyamani, Krisnangana, S'raddhavati, Gandhavati, and Mahodaya, the ninth is Yas'ovati. The Lords of the Puris are Brahma, Indra, Fire and the other Dikpalas in due order. When Visnu Bhagavan assumed the Tri Vikrama Form in His Dwarf Incarnation and went at the sacrifice, to get back the Kingdom of the Heavens from the demon Vali, there was created one hole or cavity over this Brahmanda Kataha (skull) by the nails of the toes of that foot that went up towards his left; and through that cavity, the famous river Bhagavati Ganga flowed on the top of those heavenly Kingdoms, the clear waters of which are ever ready to destroy the sins of the whole people. For this reason. She is known in the three
Lokas as the Visnupadi manifested. This took place long long ago, many thousand Yugas ago, a period difficult to determine. The Ganges fell first on the top of the Indra's Heavens, near the place called Visnudhama, known in the three worlds. Here the pure-souled Dhruva, the son of Uttanapada, observed within his heart the lotus- feet of Sri Visnu Bhagavan and exists still there taking refuge on that immoveable position. There the high-souled Seven Risis, knowing the highest purifying influence of the Ganges, circumambulate the river, wishing for the welfare of all the Lokas. This is the great place where one gets success, and final liberation, the success-giving place of the ascetics and where the Munis with clots of hairs on their heads daily take their dip in the Ganges with the greatest pleasure and admiration. The Ganges flows thence from the Dhruva Mandala, the abode of Visnu, in Kotis and Kotis of Divine Channels, interspersed with many Vimanas or carriages, deluges the Chandra Mandala (the Moon Sphere), comes gradually to the Brahma Loka. Here She is divided into the four channels, Sita, Alakananda,
Bhadra, and Chaturbhadra and irrigating many countries, mountains, and forests ultimately falls in the oceans. The Sita, the famous Dhara, purifying all, while falling down from the Brahmaloka, passes round the mountains that form as it were the filaments of the flower¬ like Sumeru mountain, and falls on the top of the Gandhamadana range. Thence She, worshipped by the Devas, irrigates the Bhadras'vavarsa and falls eastward into the salt ocean. The second Dhara (stream), named Chaksu, getting out of the Malyavan range, gradually gains strength and assumes great force and flows by Ketumalavarsa to the western ocean. The third Dhara (stream), the very pure Alakananda, getting out of the Brahma Loka, passes through the Girikuta mountain and other forests, falls to Hemakuta; next She flows through the Bharata Varsa and meets with the southern ocean. No words can describe the glory and the purifying effect of this river; suffice it to say that those who march out to bathe in this river get at each of their steps, the fruits of doing the great sacrifices, Rajasuya and AsVamedha, etc. The fourth Dhara of the Trailokyapavani Ganga Devi, named Bhadra, falling from the mountain S'ringavan, become swift and capacious, flows by the
Northern Kuru country and satisfying the people there flows down into the ocean. Many other rivers, getting out from the mountains, Meru, Mandara and others, flow through the various Varsas or continents, but of all the Varsas, continents, this Bharata Varsa is called the Karma Ksettra (or the field of actions). The other eight Varsas, though on earth, give the pleasures of the Heavens. The reason for this is that when the period of the persons’ enjoyments in the Heavens cease, they come and take their birth in the one or other of these eight Varsas. The people here live for ten thousand years; their body is hard like thunderbolt and all are endowed with powers of Ayuta elephants. No one is satisfied with a little of the pleasures of sexes; so all men live happily with their wives, etc. It is not that the males alone are so happy; the females also are full of youth throughout their lives and become pregnant, when they are less than one year old. In short, the inhabitants of the Varsas enjoy for ever as the persons of Treta Yuga do.
Hear ends the Seventh Chapter of the Eighth Book on the story of the Ganges and the continents in Sri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, the Maha Puranam, of 18,000 verses, by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 23839, revision 111884 (2017-06-22T21:56:34Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk08ch07.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.