The âgavataPurâsons of Rishabha are the countries of our Earth. Of these Bharata (India) was the first-born. The spiritual character of this holy land is shewn by the story of Bharata.
Bharata was obeyed and imitated by nine brothers, of whom Brahma-varta is well-known as described by Manu. Malaya is Malabar. Vidarbha is Berar and Kikata is Bihar.
The sons of Rishabha very likely include all the countries of the Earth.
Rishabha called his sons and asked them to follow Bharata. Will other lands now follow that advice?
Said Parikshit: -- "Thou hast given the bare outline of these regions of the universe which are lighted by the sun and where the moon and the luminous starry host are also seen.
"Thou hast hereby mentioned the seven oceans and the seven Dvipas, but thou hast not given the details thereof." Suka replied: --
Imagine the Bhu-mandala or the Earth chain to be the pericarp of a lotus. Imagine there are seven sheaths immersed in it -- the seven Dvipas. The central sheath is Jambu Dvipa. It is Niyut Yojanas in area (Niyut= 1,000,000 But Sridhara Svâmi here explains Niyuta as meaning one laksha or 100,000. So according to Sridhara the area of Jambu Dvipa is 800,000 miles). Jambu Dvipa is round like the lotus leaf.
There are nine Varshas in Jambu Dvipa, each nine thousand Yojanas in area completely divided by eight mountain ranges. (Bhadrasva and Ketumala form exceptions, for they extend over 34,000 Yojanas. Some take nine thousand Yojanas to be the expanse between the Nila and Nishadha ranges. The Vayu Purâna describes the position thus: -- Two Varshas are situated like two bows north and south. Four are placed longways. Ilâvrita is as it were with four petals. _Sridhara_. This gives 7 x 9000 + 34000 = 97000).
Sumeru is situated in the navel of this Varsha. This king of mountains is gold all through. It is a laksha Yojanas high. If the Earth chain be taken to be a lotus, this Meru is its pericarp. It is 32,000 Yojanas as the top and 16,000 Yojanas at the foot and 16,000 Yojanas under the ground.
(By saying 16000 Yojanas at the foot, 84000 Yojanas are left out. Thus the Vishnu Purâna says -- the Meru is 84000 Yojanas over the ground and 16000 under the ground, at the top 32000 and at the foot 16000. _Sridhara_. 16000 + 84000=100000).