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Dhveepams, Khandams , Varshams

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 29, 1997 


Dear Professor NaarAyaNan : 

Thanks for your note on the Sankalpam . It is my 
guess that the temple priests / Aagama Saasthra NipuNAs 
affiliated with the Srirangam temple ( Malibu Temple ) ,
Thirupathi ( Pittsburgh Temple ) , Mathurai temple (Houston - 
MeenAkshi Temple ) et al might be the sources of this sankalpam
customized for the temples in North America. As you know ,
many of the Aagama experts , who come frequently here from their
Bangalore ( Sri SampathkumAra Bhattar ) , Chennai , Srirangam 
( Sri Veda VyAsa Bhattar of ParAsara Bhattar's lineage )
and Thirupathi bases for SamprOkshaNam , PrANa prathishtai ,
Yaagams train some of the Bhattars here and might be 
the sources of  these customized sankalpams .  

Now coming back to the words used in the MahA Sankalpam ,
DvipAs come first . Dvipam is indeed a division of the terrestrial
world , whose numbers vary according to different PurANic and 
KaavyA sources. They vary from 4 , 7 ,9 , 13 or 18. The large numbers 
arise from the inclusion of Upadveepams in the count of Dveepams.

"Saptha DveepA vasundharA "  is the commonly quoted portion
of a slokam . All are conceived as being situated around Mount Meru
like the petals of a lotus flower .They are visulaized as being separated 
from each other by distinct concentric and circumambient oceans. 
According to the traditional MahA sankalpam , Jambhu Dveepam 
is at the epicenter and includes Bharatha KhanDam in it as 
a subdivision . 

Srimadh Bhagavatham ( 5th canto , chapters 17 to 25 ) and 
Sri NArAyaNeeyam ( 21st Dasakam ) give the detailed account 
of  the Dveepams. They give the name of the Gods resident there
and the Manthrams for them .  There are individual kanDams 
in each of the DveepAs . For instance ,  Jambhu Dveepam surrounded
by salty ocean is included in  our MahA Sankalpam . It has nine 
divisions ( KanDams ) and Bharatha KanDam is one of the nine.
The rest of the eight are : ILAvrutham , BhadrAchalam , 
Hari Varsham , KethumAlam , Ramyakam , HiraNmayam , 
Uttara Kuru , and Kimpurusham . Bhagavan NarasimhA is
the presiding deity of Hari Varsha Dveepam . The presiding deity 
of Bharatha Varsham is Nara NaarAyaNa Murthy .

In the seven dvepA count , the six dveepams beyond Jambhu 
Dveepam  are : Plaksha , Saalmala , Kusa , KROUNCHAA , 
Saaka  and Pushkaram . Bhagavan shines as SuryA 
in Plaksha Dveepam known for KallAla trees. This is surrounded
by sugar cane juice ocean. This has seven kanDAs of its own .

Saalmalam is surrounded by Madhu ( surai ) samudram .
Saalmalam  trees are also abundant here. The Veda-
maya Garudan is the BhagavAn here. This has seven divisions
( KhanDams ) again .

Kusa Dveepam is surrounded according to PurANAs by
the ocean of ghee. Kusa grass is abundant . HiraNyarethas 
is the overall Lord here.

KROUNCHA Dveepam is surrounded by the milky ocean . 
It has the famous mountain named KrounchA , which was
split by SubramaNyA and ParasurAmA of yore. Kruthaprushtar 
is the Lord of this Dveepam . Matsya , VarAha and Bhavishyath 
PurANams describe the Krouncha Dveepam . According to 
the Soora Samharam legend , KrounchA mountain was off
the coast of Thirucchendoor .

Saaka Dveepam is surrounded by the ocean of curds. 
Saakam is another type of tree that grows plentifully in
this dveepam . The Lord of this Dveepam is MedhAthithi.

Pushkara Dveepam is surrounded by ocean of water 
free from salt. BrahmA is resident here . 

VishNu purANam , MahA Bharatham , Raghu Vamsam
Saakunthalam , Dharma SangrahA texts provide additional
details on these dveepams and their characterestrics.  

Varsha parvatham : Varsha mountains in our PurAnic 
literature refers to one of the mountain ranges that 
separate the different divisions of " the worlds"  from one
another . The seven ( saptha ) varsha parvathAs are :
HimavAn , Hemakuta, NishadO , Meru , Chaitra , KarNee 
and Sringhi . 

The enormity of the overlays of names can be quite 
confusing . The original intent was to realize a scheme 
of GIS classification and provide coordinates . 

In summary , the introduction of the items of identification 
for American continent named after Amerigo Vespucci ,
such as Krouncha DveepA , HiraNya Varsha ( wall Street ) ,
Go teertha Kanda may be  a stretch of the imagination 
of our modern day Aagama saasthra experts .
 
There is however a Meru mountain in Bharatha Varsham
of Jambu dveepam . The connection of America to Krouncha
dveepam is an overstretch in my opinion . The part,
MerO: PaschimE PaarsvE " is however correct in terms 
of geographical coordinates .

Best Regards,
V.Sadagopan