Did the Bhagavata Purana describe 7 continents before cartographers?

Ancient revered texts of the Bhagavata Purana hold a plethora of wisdom and cosmic knowledge, one of the most interesting topics is mentioning seven continents called "Sapta-Dvipa." There are Jambu, Plaksha, Salmala, Kusha, Krauncha, Saka, and Pushkara, each surrounded by peculiar oceans: salt water, sugarcane juice, wine, ghee, curds, milk, and sweet water.

That makes this account particularly interesting: the antiquity of the Bhagavata Purana, which testifies to the deep knowledge of the world's geography many millennia before the age of exploration. This invites really strong questions regarding the sources of such ancient information: Were these descriptions purely mythological, or did they reflect a deeper, perhaps lost, understanding of the earth's layout?

When the known world for most of their time was confined to the immediate environs of the ancient civilizations, the Bhagavata Purana showed a world stretching across several continents-something that is exceptional. This invites us immediately to reflect upon the reach of ancient wisdom and the modes in which that wisdom was preserved and passed on through generations.

Dealing with this ancient scripture, we journey through time to consider those junctures of mythology, geography, and this eternal search for the understanding of our world. The Bhagavata Purana is a demonstration of the immortal human spirit of curiosity and the restless pursuit of knowledge.

It is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas of Hinduism, a respectable body of writings that elaborates on various aspects of cosmology, mythology, and spirituality. Among many interesting topics, it describes seven continents called sapta-dvīpa: Jambū, Plakṣa, Śālmala, Kuśa, Krauñca, Śāka, and Puṣkara.

(1) Jambū—It is the central one of the seven continents surrounding the mountain Meru, so called either from the Jambū trees abounding in it or from an enormous Jambū tree on Mount Meru visible like a standard to the whole continent. Sec S. M. Ali, Op. cit., chapters V-VII on Jambūdvīpa.

(2) Śāka can be identified with Malaya, Siam, Indo-China and Southern China or the South-Eastern comer of the land mass of which Jambūdvīpa occupied the centre.

(3) Kuśa included Iran, Iraq, and the south-western comer of the land mass round Meru.

(4) Plakṣa identified with the basin of Mediterranian since Plakṣa or Pākhara tree is
characteristic of warm temperate or Mediterranian lands identifiable with Greece and adjoining lands.

(5) Puṣkara covered the whole of Japan, Manchuria and the south-eastern Siberia.

(6) Śālmala—the tropical part of Africa bordering the Indian Ocean on the West. It included Madagasgar—the Zenj of the Arab and Persian geographers, the Hariṇa of the Purāṇas and the Śaṃkhadvīpa of some other writers.

(7) Krauñca is represented by the basin of the Black Sea.

(8) Upadvīpas (sub-continents): (1) Bhārata (2) Kimpuruṣa (3) Harivarṣa (4) Ramyaka (5) Hiraṇmaya (6) Uttarakuru (7) Ilāvṛta (8) Bhadrāśva and (9) Ketumāla. According to P.E. p. 342 there are eight long mountain ranges which divide the island Jambu into 9 countries which look like nine petals of the lotus flower. The two countries of the north and south extremities (Bhadra and Ketumāla) are bow-shaped. Of the remaining seven, four are longer than the rest; the central one is called Ilāvṛta.

Symbolism and explanation

Accounts of these continents in Bhagavata Purana reek of symbolism, not to be understood in its literal sense but rather reflecting the world view and cosmology of ancient India. Each continent was assigned one tree, one ocean, and one presiding deity, symbolizing variant aspects of life and the universe.

For instance, the central position of Jambūdvīpa and its relation to Mount Meru indicate the importance of the cosmic structure. The various oceans separating the continents are made up of various substances such as sugarcane juice, wine, and milk, symbolizing different qualities and elements in nature.

Comparison to modern geography

While the concept of seven continents explained in Bhagavata Purana was exciting, it is critical to realize that such descriptions are mythological and symbolic rather than geographical. It little resembles the modern-day notion of continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.

The whole concept of Sapta-dvīpa thus reflects the spiritual and philosophical thought of the time, laying so much stress on the connectedness of life and the universe. It is also a manifestation of the rich imagination and the cultural heritage of ancient Indian civilization