Shakadvipa ( sa, शाकद्वीप, lit=teak island, translit=Śākadvīpa), is an island featured in Hindu mythology. The island is named after a great

teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( pan ...

tree that is stated to venerated in its midst. Its terrain and inhabitants are described in the Puranas.

Literature

Brahma Purana

According to the

Brahma Purana The ''Brahma Purana'' ( sa, ब्रह्मपुराण or ; ) is one of the eighteen major Puranas collections of Hindu texts in Sanskrit Language. It is listed as the first Maha-Purana in all the anthologies, and therefore also called A ...

, the ocean known as

Kshira Sagara In Hindu cosmology, the Ocean of Milk (',', ''Malayalam: Pālāḻi'') is the fifth from the centre of the seven oceans. It surrounds the continent known as Krauncha. According to Hindu scriptures, the devas and asuras worked together for a mi ...

is surrounded by Shakadvipa, which is described to be twice the size of Kraunchadvipa, another island. The sovereign of the island is called Bhavya, and he is mentioned as having seven sons, offering each a region of the land: Jalada, Sukumara, Kaumara, Maṇīcaka, Kusumottara, Modaka, and Mahadruma. The seven mountains that exist on this island are Udaya, Jaladhara, Raivataka, Shyama, Ambikeya, Astikeya, and Kesari. A great shaka (teak) tree is described to grow there, frequented by

gandharvas A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Dharmic religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are ...

and

siddhas ''Siddha'' (Sanskrit: '; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual ...

. The members of the four varnas who live here do so without contracting any disease. The Magas are the Brahmanas, the Magadhas are the

Kshatriyas Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the c ...

, the Manasas are the

Vaishyas Vaishya ( Sanskrit: वैश्य, ''vaiśya'') is one of the four varnas of the Hindu social order in India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of caste hierarchy. The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly of agriculture, taking c ...

, and the Mandagas are the Shudras. The seven sacred rivers that flow through this island are stated to be Sukumari, Kumari, Nalini, Renuka, Ikshu, Dhenuka, and Gabhasti. No excesses of any emotion are stated to be experienced by the islanders.

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

is stated to be worshipped here, in his form of Surya.

Vishnu Purana

The account of Shakadvipa in the

Vishnu Purana The Vishnu Purana ( IAST:, sa, विष्णुपुराण) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature corpus. The manusc ...

is much the same as the Brahma Purana. The inhabitants of this island are described to be extremely virtuous, feeling no jealousy and transgressing no boundaries.

References

Locations in Hindu mythology Mythological islands {{DEFAULTSORT:Shakadvipa

Literature

Brahma Purana

Vishnu Purana

See also

References