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GEOGRAPHICAL PLACES, PEOPLES AND TRIBES
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Ramyaka, Hairanyavata and Airavata. There are fourteen rivers which flow in Jambūdvīpa. They are Ganga, Sindhu, Rohita, Rohitāṁsā, Hari, Harikāntā, Sítā, Sítoda, Nārī, Narakāntā, Rūpyakula, Suvarn. akūlā, Rakta, and Raktāvati, two rivers flowing in each country respectively.
According to the TP (4. 12f, 90f) the seven countries and the six mountains as mentioned above are said to be successively occupying Jambūdvipa from south to north, stretching from east to west and touching the Lavaņa ocean on both the sides. The JP (10) gives a detailed account of these countries.
According to the Brahmanical literature also the Jambūdvipa has got the Meru mountain situated in its centre (Vn. Pu, 2. 2. 78). There are also other six mountains, three to the south and the other three to the north of the Meru mountain. They are the Himavat, Hemakūta, Nişadha; and Nila, sveta, and Srngin. The last, Sšngin is identical with Sikharin and the Sveta with Rajatamaya or Rukmin of the Jaina tradition respectively. Thus the names of all the six mountains of the Brahmanical account agree with those of the Jaina tradition. The seven countries of Jambūdvīpa are mentioned as Bhāratavarşa, Kimpuruşa Harivarsa, Ilāvstavarşa, Ramyaka, Hirraṇyamaya and Uttarakuru (Vn.2. 2. 12f). The first, third, fifth and the sixth country are identical with those of the Jaina tradition. Uttarakuru is called as Airāvatavarşa in the Mahabhārata (VI. 6. 37) and the latter is identical with Airāvata of the Jaina tradition. The second country namely, Kimpuruşa is named as Haim avatavarşa in the MB (VI. 6.7) which is identical with Haimavata of the Jaina tradition. Thus the names of six countries out of the seven of the Jaina tradition are in agreement with those of the Brahmanical tradition'.
In the Buddhist literature the Meru mountain is said to have been situated in the middle of the four islands or continents. The four countries are named as Pubbavideha, Aparagodana, Uttarakuru and Jambūdvīpa”.
1. Shri Rēmakrsnadāsji in his article named Caturdvipaka Bhugola', identifies
the Himayat with the Himalayas and the Hemakūta with Tibet. This Hemkūţa of the Brahmanical literature is the Mahāhimavāt (Mahāhimavanta) of the Jaina tradition. It is said that the country lying between Himavat and Mahāhimavat always has a great snow-fall, hence it is called Hemavaya (Jambu, Sū. 78). The Nişadha is further identified with the Hindukusa range and the Uttarakuru with the western Turkistan (Vide
JPS, Intro). 2. Vide HGAI, p. 8. 3. IDETB7, p. 2.
