The country which is situated to the south of Himalaya and where the descendants of Bharata reside is known by the name Bharat Varsha. It has been said in Vishnu Purana that the extent of this land is nine thousand yojonas and is the field of action, on account of which men go to heaven or obtain final emancipation. The seven principal mountain ranges in Bharata are Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Riksha, Vindhya and Paripatra. A belief goes which says that it is from the land of Bharat Varsha that an individual is able to attain emancipation in heaven. This is because no other arena is a field of action determining the last journey of an individual. The land of Bharat Varsha is divided into nine divisions. They are Indra-dwipa, Kasermut, Tamravarna Galehastimat, Nagadwipa, Saumya, Gandharba and Varuna. The last is encircled by the sea and is thousand Yojonas in extent from north-to south. The Purana says that on the east of Bharata live the Kiratas, and on the west Yavanas in the centre live Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas;and Sudras engaged severally in sacrifice, arms, trade and service. According to the Purana it has been said that the rivers Satadru, Chandrabhaga and others have take their rise from the Himalaya. Vedasrnriti and others have taken their rise from the Vindya range, Tapi, Poyoshni Nirbindha and others have taken their rise from Riksha Godavari, Bhiimarathi, Krishnaveni and others have taken their rise from Sahya mountain. It is believed that all these rivers have the capacity to remove the dread of sin. Kritamala, Tamraparni and others flow from front of the Malaya hills; Trisama, Rishikulya and others from the Mahendra; and the Risikulya, Kumari and others from the Suktinut Mountains. In the countries of Bharat Varsha there are thousands of rivers and tributaries. Vishnu Purana states that there are four Yugas or ages in the Bharata-Varsha namely the Krita, the Treta, the Dwarpa and Kali. In fact there is no such cycle of ages in any other land. In the country of Bharat Varsha the ascetics are engaged in penances, the devout offer sacrifices, and the people distribute gifts, for the sake of another world. It can be said that Bharata Varsha is therefore the best of all divisions of Jambu-Dwipa for it is the land of actions and all other divisions are places of entertainment. It is also believed that it is after many thousand births and by the accumulation of piety, that living beings are sometimes born in Bharatavarsa as men. Bharat Varsha is believed to be a land that leads an individual towards paradise. All actions that are performed by men born in this land are freed from all sins and are merited towards Lord Vishnu. Thus it can be concluded saying that Bharat Varsha is a land of piousness from where an individual is able to traverse on the path of paradise.
