Vaitadhya

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Vaitadhya (वैताढ्य) is the name of a mountain situated in the center of Bharatavarsha. It divides Bharatavarsha into Aryavarta and Dakshinatya.

Variants

• Vaitadhya Parvata वैताढ्य, आ.प्र., (AS, p.879)

History

Vaitāḍhya (वैताढ्य) is the name of a mountain situated in the center of Bhārata (parallel to the Himavān) which divides Bhārata into northern and southern regions. It is also known by the name Vijayārdha. Bhārata is one of the seven regions (kṣetra) of Jambūdvīpa according to Jaina cosmology. Jambūdvīpa sits at the centre of madhyaloka (‘middle world’) is the most important of all continents and it is here where human beings reside.

Vaitāḍhya (वैताढ्य).—In the center of the Bhārata, parallel to the Himavān, is the Mountain Vaitāḍhya or Vijayārdha, dividing the Bhārata kṣetra into northern and southern regions. The northern one is peopled by the Mlecchas. The southern region is divided into western, middle and eastern parts, the Mlecchas again live in the extreme east and west sections, the middle section peopled by āryas is known as the ārya-khaṇḍa.

On the northern and the southern slopes of the Mount Vaitāḍhya are cities of the Vidyādharas, fifty in the south and sixty in the north. At ten yojanas above the abodes of the Vidyādharas are two rows adorned with abodes of the Vyantaras. Above these again are nine peaks. There are two caves on the Vaitāḍhya, known as the Tamisra-guhā and the Khaṇḍaprapāta-guhā.

वैताढ्य पर्वत

वैताढ्य(AS, p.879): विंध्याचल पर्वत का एक नाम है, जिसका उल्लेख जैन ग्रंथ 'जंबूद्वीपप्रज्ञप्ति' में है। इस पर्वत के द्वारा भारतवर्ष को आर्यावर्त तथा दाक्षिणात्य दो भागों में विभाजित माना गया है- वैताढ्य पर्वत के सिद्धायतन, तमिस्त्रा, गुहा आदि नौ शिखर गिनाए गए है। (जंबूद्वीप प्रज्ञप्ति, 1, 12)