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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 1:
Sri Paraasharah -
Uttaram yat samudrasya himaadreh cha eva dakshinam |
Varsham tat bhaaratam naama bhaaratee yatra santatih || ****Sri Paraasharar *- To the north of the ocean, and to the south of the *Himavaan *parvata, the place, varsha is called Bhaarata varsha. All are Bhaarateeyaas.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Uttaram iti | Samudrasya puraatanasya na tu sagara suta khaatasya |
Bhaaratee bharatasya raajnyah sambandhinee | ***Samudra is existing for a long time; it is not the one formed by the digging by Sagara’s sons. Bhaaratee means related to King Bharata.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 2:
Nava yojana saahasro vistaaro asya mahaamune |
Karma bhoomih iyam svargam apavargam cha gacchataam || Nine thousand yojanaas is the expanse of this Bhaarata varsha. Those who want to attain *svarga *(heavens), and *apavarga *(liberation, moksha), this Bhaarata varsha is the place where they can perform the suitable karmaas, and attain those fruits. This is the karma bhoomi.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Nava yojana iti | Vistaarah dakshina uttaratah; aayaamah tu hjimavat paarshve
himavataa samah, dakshinato dakshinatah kinchit kinchit nyoonah | 9000 yojanaas is the spread from south to north. At the bottom of the Himavaan mountain, the breadth is the same as Himavaan mountain. As you go down towards south, it gets lesser and lesser; so it is tapering down.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 3:
Mahendro malayah sahyah shuktimaan ruksha parvatah |
Vindhyah cha paariyaatrah cha sapta atra kula parvataah || The sapta kula parvataas which are told are *Mahendra, Malaya, Sahyaadri, *Shuktimaan, Ruksha, Vindhya, Paariyaatra.
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**SrI VishNu PurANam (Vol. 2) **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 4:
Atah sampraapyate svargo muktim asmaat prayaanti cha |
Tiryaktvam narakam cha api yaanti atah purushaa mune || From the Bhaarata varsha, people attain heavens, they also get liberated, attain mukti. They also attain lower births like animals, they also got to hell. People attain these various fruits from here.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Ata iti | Ato muktim prayaanti cha iti vachanam asmin bhaarata varshe muktih
syaat iti etaavat vaktum; na tu anyatra nisheddhum; karma bhoomeh anyatra
api brahma vidyaa saadhyasya mokshasya upapatteh | Sootra kaarena *
Taduparyapi ityaadinaa sootrena devaadeenaam api brahma vidyaa
adhikaarasya uktatvaat | In this Bhaarata varsha, people can perform suitable karmaas and attain liberation. It is said that they can attain moksha from Bhaarata varsha. Does not mean that anyone who has to attain moksha has to be born here, and then only attain moksha. It does not negate people attaining moksha in other places, but this is told to highlight the greatness of Bhaarata varsha. Even in other places which are not said to be *karma *bhoomi, in order to attain moksha, one has to practice Brahma vidyaa; this *Brahma *vidyaa can be practices even in other places. Even devataas are eligible for adopting Brahma vidyaa, and can attain moksha; this is established clearly in the Brahma Sutraas, as told by Sootra kaara Baadaraayana. People in other lokaas can also attain moksha, it is told; because they have a desire to attain, they have the capability to do Brahma vidyaa, so it is possible for them also; they also have adhikaara for Brahma vidyaa.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 5:
Itah svargah cha mokshah cha madhyam cha antah cha gamyate |
Na khalu anyatra martyaanaam karma bhoomou vidheeyate || First it is told heaven and liberation, then it is told that madhyam (antariksha, various lokaas) and anta (naraka) are the places they can attain. Is it not well known that in other places, for humans, karma is not ordained.
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Uktam artham upapaadayati ita ityaadinaa | Madhyam antariksha aadi | Antah
narakah | Poorvam phalavachanam, atra tat aadhaara loka vachanam iti
apunaruktih | Na khalu ityaadi | Khalu shabdah (hetou) prasiddha parah |
Anyatra bhoomou kimpurusha aadi varsha ashtake pushkara dveepe cha karma
na vidyate | Arthaat na nishpadyate cha | Plaksha aadi dveepa panchake tu
aapavargika itara karma na vidheeyate; aapavargika karmaanaam tatra api
anushthaana ukteh; * Yathoktakarmakartrutvaat svaadhikaara kshayaaya te |
Yajantah kshapayanti ugram adhikaaram phala pradam || iti
vakshyamaanatvaat | * Daanaani cha atra deeyante para loka artham aadaraat [[29]]
* iti ukteh bharata vishayatvaat cha | What was told in the earlier shloka is justified here. Svarga and moksha are the fruits directly told. Madhyam means those worlds in the middle, antariksha. Anta is the world which are below, naraka and other places. What was told earlier that there is no Kruta, Tretaa yugaas in Kimpurusha and the eight countries, and *Pushkara *dveepa also, karma is not ordained. Karma is not negated also. One can follow karma if required, but it is not ordained like in Bhaarata varsha. In Plaksha and five islands, karmaas required for attaining fruits other than moksha are not ordained. In Plaksha and five dveepaas, the karmaas which are required for attaining moksha, are being performed there. It is going to be told later, when performing karmaas which are as told, according to the punya done earlier, they are given positions like Vasishta and others, they are called aadhikaarika purushas. It is asked about why Vasishta did not do deha avasaana prapatti, and attain moksha; they are aadhikaarika purushaas, they have performed much punya, and have been put in that position by Paramaatman in order to perform certain things, and also guide the people of the world. In order to spend the adhikaara, to exhaust it so that they can attain moksha, and also performing the yaagaas, etc., they get rid of all the remaining karmaas there. In Plaksha and other dveepaas, they also do daana, is also told.
Apavarga means moksha. Dharma, artha, kaama is one, and apavarga is the other.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 6:
Bhaaratasya asya varshasya nava bhedaan nishaamaya |
Indradveepah kasheruh cha taamraparno gabhastimaan || In the Bhaarata varsha, there are nine divisions. *Indradveepa, Kasheru, Taamraparna, *Gabhastimaan, …
***Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Bhaaratasya ityaadi | Samudra velaam aarabhya himavat antam indradveepa
aadyaa madhye madhye sagara suta khaata antaritaah sahasra yojana
vistaaraah bhaarata varsha antara dveepaah nava; tena saagara samvrutatvam
navaanaam, na tu ekasyaiva asya navamasya bhaarataakhyasya; * Bhaaratasya
asya varshasya nava bhedaan nibodhata | Saagara antaritaa jnyeyaa te
tvagamyaah parasparam || iti vaayu ukteh || ***Starting from the banks of the ocean, till the Himavaan mountain, various dveepaas are located, based on the digging of the earth by the sons of Sagara in order to find the horse of the yaaga, these islands were formed when they dug like that, they are of thousands of yojanaas in expanse; there are nine islands in the Bhaarata varsha, all these nine are surrounded by ocean, not just the ninth one called Bhaarata. In the Vaayu Puraana, it is mentioned that all of them are surrounded by ocean.
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**SrI VishNu PurANam (Vol. 2) *****Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 7:
Naaga dveepah tathaa soumyo gaandharva tu atha vaarunah |
Ayam tu navamah teshaam dveepah saagara samvrutah || ***… Naagadveepa, Soumya, Gaandharva, Vaaruna, ninth one is called Dveepa itself - this is actually the Bharata khanda, which is surrounded by oceans.
In sankalpa, we say Bhaarata varshe, Bharata khande; this Bharata khanda is told as Dveepah.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Naaga dveepah iti | Ayam tu dveepo bhaarataakhyah | Tat uktam vaaraahe *
Indrah kasheruh taamra varno gabhastimaan naagah soumyo gaandharvo
vaaruno bhaaratah cha, iti | Saagara samvrutaa iti vaa paathah | Dveepa stands for Bharata khanda. In the Varaaha Puraana, it is clearly mentioned that *Indra, Kasheru, Taamraparna, Gabhastimaan, Naaga, Soumya, Gandharva, *Vaaruna and Bhaarata, are the nine parts of Bhaarata varsha.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 8:
Yojanaanaam sahasram tu dveepo ayam dakshina uttaraat |
Poorve kiraataa yasya ante paschime yavanaah sthitaah || From south to north, 1000 yojanaas is the expanse of this dveepa, Bharata khanda. In the eastern direction, Kiraataas are there, and in the west, Yavanaas are there.
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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 9:
Brahmanaah kshatriyaah vaishyaah madhye shoodraah cha bhaagashah |
Ijya aayudha vanijya aadyaih vartayanto vyavasthitaah || ***In the middle, Braahmanaas, Kshatriyaas, Vaishyaas and Shoodraas are there. They are engaged in their daily living, for which they do *yaagaas *(for Braahmanaas), with weapons (for Kshatriyaas), business (for Vaishyaas), and others.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 10:
Shatadru chandrabhaaga aadyaah himavat paada nirgataah |
Veda smruti mukha aadyaah cha paariyaatra udbhavaa mune || The various rivers flowing from the mountains are told here. *Shatadru, *Chandrabhaaga, rivers start out flowing from the base of Himavaan. From the Paariyaatraa mountain, Veda, Smruti, rivers start.
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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 11:
Narmadaa surasaadyaah cha nadyo vindyaadri nirgataah |
Taapee payoshnee nirvindhyaah pramukhaa rukshasambhavaah || ***From Vindyaadri, Narmadaa, Surasaadyaa, are born. From the Rukshaa mountain, Taapee, Payoshnee, Nirvindhyaa, rivers start.
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**SrI VishNu PurANam (Vol. 2) **Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 12:
Godaavaree bheemarathee krushnavenee aadikaah tathaa |
Sahya paada udbhavaah nadyaah smrutaah paapa bhayaapahaah || Godaavaree, Bheemarathee, Krushnavenee, rivers are starting from Sahyaadri. These rivers purify, and people who take bath in them get rid of fear of sins.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 13:
Krutamaalaa taamraparnee pramukhaa malaya udbhavaah |
Trisaamaa charshikulyaadyaa mahendra prabhavaah smrutaah || From the Malaya mountain, Krutamaalaa, Taamraparnee rivers are flowing out. From Mahendra parvata, Trisaamaa, Charshikulyaa rivers flow.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 14:
Rushikulyaah (Aaryakulyaah) kumaaraadyaah shuktimat paada sambhavaah |
Aasaam nadi upanadyah cha santi anyaah cha sahasrashah || From Shuktimaan, Rushikulyaa and Kumaara rivers start. For these rivers, there are thousands and thousands of smaller rivers.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 15:
Taasu ime kuru paanchaalaa madhya desha aadayo janaah |
Poorva desha aadikaah cha eva kaama roopa nivaasinah || People who are living in the middle parts Kuru Paanchaala, the people living in the eastern side, people living in the Kaama roopa, …
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Taasu iti | Kaama roopo deshah |
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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 16:
Pundraah kalingaa magadhaah dakshinaatyaah cha sarvashah |
Tathaa aparaantaah souraashtraah shooraabheeraah cha barbaraah || ***… *Pundraas, Kalingaas, Magadhaas, Dakshinaatyaas, Aparaantaas, Souraashtraas, *Shooraas, Aabheeraas, Barbaraas, …
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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 17:
Kaarooshaah maalavaah cha eva paariyaatra nivaasinah |
Souveeraah saindhavaah hoonaah saalvaa kosalavaasinah || ***… Kaalooshaas, Maalavaas, those who live in *Paariyaatraa, Souveeraas, Sandhavaas, *Hoonaas, Saalvaas, people living in Kosala, …
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 18:
Maadraaraamaah tathaa ambaashthaah paaraseekaadayah tathaa |
Aasaam pibanti salilam vasanti saritaam sadaa |
Sameepato mahaabhaaga hrushta pushta jana aakulaah || [[32]]
… Maadraaraamaas, Ambashtaas, Paaraseekaas, all these people, live near the rivers, and also consume the waters of these rivers, are well fed and nurtured, and are healthy and happy.
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***Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 19:
Chatvaari bhaarate varshe yuga anyatra mahaa mune |
Krutam tretaa dvaaparah cha kalih cha anyatra na kaschit || ***In the Bhaarata varsha, these four yugaas are found - *Kruta, Tretaa, *Dvaapara and Kali; these are not seen in other places.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Chatvaari iti | Chatvaari yugaani | Dharma paada vyavasthaa yuga vyavasthaa
| In Kruta yuga, dharma stands on all four legs. In Tretaa yuga, on three legs; *Dvaapara *yuga on two legs; and Kali yuga on one leg.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 20:
Tapah tapyanti munayo juhvate cha atra yajvanah |
Daanaani cha atra deeyante para lokaartham aadaraat || The sages are engaged in tapas, those who perform the yaagaas are performing the yaagaas, people give daanaas, in order to get paraloka, svarga, apavarga. The munis are engaged in tapas, those who perform the yaagaas are performing the yaagaas. In order to get sadgati, people give daanaas.
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The greatness of Bhaarata varsha is going to be told next. Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 21:
Purushaih yajnya purusho jamboodveepe sadaa ijyate |
Yajnyaih yajnyamayo vishnuh anyadveepeshu cha anyathaa || All the time, in Jamboo Dveepa, the purushaas worship Yajnya Purusha, Bhagavaan. All the people worship Vishnu as Yajnya Purusha Himself, performing various yajnyaas. In other dveepaas, He is worshipped in different forms.
Veda says ’ Yajnya vai vishnuh’. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Purushaih ityaadi | Yajnya purushah vishnuh atra yajnya roopa ijyate |
Anyathaa soma vaayu aadi roopah |*** In other places, Vishnus worshipped as Soma, Vaayu, etc. ***
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 22:
Atra api bhaaratam shreshtham jamboo dveepe mahaa mune |
Yato hi karmabhooh eshaa hi ato anyaa bhoga bhoomayah ||*** [[33]]
Even among all the places in this Jamboo Dveepa, Bhaarata Varsha is the most preferred and excellent one, because this is said to be karma bhoomi, whereas other places are said to be bhoga bhoomis, places of enjoyment. ***
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 23:
Atra janma sahasraanaam sahasraih api sattama |
Kadaachit labhate jantuh maanushyam punya sanchayaat ||*** Why is it praised so much? Because thousands of thousands of births, accumulating a lot of punya, one gets to be born as a human in this Bhaarata Varsha. It is so difficult to be born as a human in Bhaarata Varsha. ***
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 24:
Gaayanti devaah kila geetakaani dhanyaah tu te bhaarata te bhoomi bhaage |
Svarga apavarga aaspada maarga bhoote bhavanti bhooyah purushaah suratvaat
||*** This is the reason why the gods sing the praises of this land. Even gods, devaas sing praises of this land. Gods, devaas are talking among themselves that they have all attained svarga, due to some punya karma done; once this punya ends, they have to come back to this world, but nobody knows where who will be born. They say that whoever is born at the end of a term in svarga as devataas, after that term comes to an end, if they are born as humans in Bhaarata varsha, they are dhanyaah. ***
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Gaayanti iti | Ye devaah suratvaat suratvaat anantaram tatra bhaarate
bhooyah purushaah manushyaah syu te dhanyaah |*** Once they enjoy the svarga loka as devaas because of their punya, after their term is over, they come back here, since this is karma bhoomi, they can perform yajnyaas and yaagaas, and they attain either svarga or apavarga from here. Even from svarga, they can attain apavarga, but because it is bhoga bhoomi, they will not get that kind of a desire to attain moksha. Here, it is easy, to perform yaagas, the means to attain svarga or apavarga. So, whoever is born in Bhaarata Varsha as humans are dhanyaah. ***
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 25:
Karmaani asankalpita tat phalaani sanyasya vishnou paramaatma bhoote |
Avaapya taam karma maheem anante tasmin layam ye tu amalaah prayaanti ||*** Performing karmaas without any desire in fruits thereof, performing karmaas as svayam prayojana, svasmai svayam eva kaarayati, with saatvika tyaaga, giving up the desire for fruits, and offering it as worship at the Lotus Feet of Vishnu, Paramaatman, they go at the end of their term here, they go and attain Vishnu Himself, being purified completely, having got rid of all the karma bandhaas.* [[34]]
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:
Etat samarthayati karmaani iti | Atra api te dhanyaah iti anushangah | This shloka justifies that they are dhanyaah. ***
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 26:
Jaaneema na etat kva vayam vileene svargaprade karmani deha bandham |
Praasyaama dhanyaah khalu te manushyaah ye bhaarate na indriya vipra
heenaah ||*** Various karmaas have been performed because of which we attain some punya, and because of this, we have come to svarga and are enjoying there. When this ends, we have to go back, but we don’t know where we have to go, nobody knows which is the next janma, where we are going to be born, and as what. Those who are born in Bhaarata Varsha, as humans, they have the sense organs which are capable of performing karma yoga, dhyaana yoga, capable of meditating on Vishnu, they are the ones who are blessed. They praise the people who are born in this Bhaarata Varsha, that they are verily blessed.
Sri Engal Aalwaan’s Commentary:**** **Jaaneema iti | Na indriya vipra heenaah karma dhyaana aadi yugya patu
karanaah | ***
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 27:
Navavarsham tu maitreya jamboo dveepam idam mayaa |
Laksha yojana vistaaram sankshepaat kathitam tava ||*** This Jamboo Dveepa, which is having an expanse of one lakh yojanaas, and consisting of nine continents, or regions, O Maitreya, I told you very briefly.
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Sri Vishnu Puraana, Amsha 2, Chapter 3, Shloka 28:**** Jamboo dveepam samaavrutya laksha yojana vistarah | **Maitreya valayaakaarah sthitah kshaarodadhih bahih || Surrounding the Jamboo Dveepa, for an expanse of one lakh yojanaas, O Maitreya, there is an ocean of salt water, all around like a ring, outside the Jamboo Dveepa, surrounding all around.
This concludes the Third Chapter of the Second Amsha.
***|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraane Dviteeye Amshe Triteeyo Adhyaayah ||
|| Iti Sri Vishnu Puraana Vyaakhyaane Vishnu Chitteeye Dviteeye Amshe
Triteeyo Adhyaayah || ***
*** [[35]]
|| Atha Chaturtho Adhyaayah ||
Dveepaas surrounding Jamboo Dveepa and Pushkara Dveepa***
Now, the Fourth Chapter. Sri Paraasharar continues. ****