Dvipa

In Indian mythology, dvīpa (Devnagari: द्वीप "peninsula, island"; also mahadvipa "great island") is the term for the major divisions of the terrestrial sphere, sometimes translated as "continents". There are either 7, 4or 13 or 18 dvipas. The list of seven (sapta-dvipa) is (e.g. Mahabharata 6.604 = Bhagavad Gita 5.20.3-42):

1. Jambu ("rose apple tree")
2. Plaksha ("fig tree")
3. Go-medaka (a gem)
4. Shalmali (a river of the infernal region)
5. Kusha ("grass")
6. Kraunca ("of curlews")
7. Shaka ("power", also "of the Saka")
8. Pushkara ("lotus")

Seven intermediate oceans consist of salt-water, sugarcane juice, wine, ghee, curd, milk and water respectively.^[1],^[2]

The list of four is (e.g. Mahabharata 6.208)

1. Bhadrashva
2. Ketumalla
3. Jambudvipa
4. Uttara Kurava

The list of 13 adds nine to the four above: Indra-dvipa, Kaseru-mat, Tamra-varna, Gabhasti-mat, Naga-dvipa, Saumya, Gandharva, Varuna and Bharata (Vishnu Purana 2.3.6f.)

They are situated round the Mount Meru, and separated from each other by distinct concentric circumambient oceans.The intermediate oceans consist of salt-water, sugarcane juice, wine, ghee, curd, milk and water respectively.^[1],^[2]

See also

• Jambudvipa
• Shakdvipi
• Uttara Kurava
• Bhagavad Gita
• Shakdvipa

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Agni Purana 108.1-2
2. ^ ^{a b} Matsya Purana 121-122

External links