First world map Mahabharata

The first ever world map was sketched out by Ramanuja, a prominent vaishnava saint. He sketched out the map from the verses defined in ancient Indian Sanskrit epic Mahabharata. Following are part of Verses no. 15-16 of Chapter 6 in Jamvu-khanda Nirmana Parva of Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata.

yathā ca puruṣaḥ paśyed ādarśe mukham ātmanaḥ evaṃ sudarśana dvīpo dṛśyate candramaṇḍale dvir aṃśe pippalas tatra dvir aṃśe ca śaśo mahān

यथा च पुरुषः पश्येद आदर्शे मुखम आत्मनः एवं सुदर्शन दवीपॊ दृश्यते चन्द्रमण्डले दविर अंशे पिप्पलस तत्र दविर अंशे च शशॊ महान

Translation: As a person can see his own face in a mirror, even so is the island called Sudarsana seen in the lunar disc. Two of its parts seem to be a peepul(Ficus religiosa) tree, while two others look like a large hare.

अर्थ- जैसे पुरुष दर्पण में अपना मुख देखता है, उसी प्रकार यह द्वीप (पृथ्वी) चन्द्रमण्डल में दिखाई देता है। इसके दो अंशों में पिप्पल (पीपल के पत्ते) और दो अंशों में महान शश (खरगोश) दिखाई देता है।

Sketch of world map by Ramanuja as described in Mahabharata

File:Mahabharata map by ramanujacharya.jpg

Ramanuja's map after switching upside down

After switching the Ramanuja's map upside down, it becomes very similar to actual world map.

The verses are uttered in Mahabharata by Sanjaya to blind king Dhritarashtra while describing the whole universe to him before the onset of great war. Sanjaya, the charioteer of Dhritarashtra, was given the boon of divine vision by sage Vyasa so that he could describe the events of the war to Dhritarashtra.

As per another source the map was not drawn by Sri Ramanuja (1017–1137) but by Sriman Thiruvenkata Ramanuja Jeeyar (1806–1877).

References

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