Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 17

Bhū-maṇḍala as a Lotus: Jambūdvīpa, Ilāvṛta, and the Meru System

Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, and Brahmapurī

Devanagari script

तेषां विशीर्यमाणानामतिमधुरसुरभिसुगन्धि बहुलारुणरसोदेनारुणोदा नाम नदी मन्दरगिरिशिखरान्निपतन्ती पूर्वेणेलावृतमुपप्लावयति ॥ १७ ॥

Transliteration

teṣāṁ viśīryamāṇānām ati-madhura-surabhi-sugandhi-bahulāruṇa-rasodenāruṇodā nāma nadī mandara-giri-śikharān nipatantī pūrveṇelāvṛtam upaplāvayati.

Translation

When all those solid fruits fall from such a height, they break, and the sweet, fragrant juice within them flows out and becomes increasingly more fragrant as it mixes with other scents. That juice cascades from the mountain in waterfalls and becomes a river called Aruṇodā, which flows pleasantly through the eastern side of Ilāvṛta.

Synonyms

• तेषाम्: of those (fruits)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• विशीर्यमाणानाम्: of (them) being shattered/splitting
• विशीर्यमाणानाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + शीॄ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि-प्रयोगे शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present passive participle); षष्ठी, बहुवचन; विशेषण (तेषाम्)

• अति-मधुर-सुरभि-सुगन्धि-बहुल-अरुण-रस-उदेन: by the stream of very sweet, fragrant, richly red juice
• अति-मधुर-सुरभि-सुगन्धि-बहुल-अरुण-रस-उदेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + मधुर (प्रातिपदिक) + सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक) + सुगन्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + बहुल (प्रातिपदिक) + अरुण (प्रातिपदिक) + रस (प्रातिपदिक) + उद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘अतिमधुरः सुरभिः सुगन्धिः बहुलः अरुणः रसः, तेन उदेन (जलप्रवाहेन)’

• अरुणोदा: Aruṇodā (river name)
• अरुणोदा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुणोदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (नामनिर्देश/quotative particle)

• नदी: river
• नदी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अरुणोदायाः अप्पोजिशन

• मन्दर-गिरि-शिखरात्: from the peak of Mandara mountain
• मन्दर-गिरि-शिखरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दर (प्रातिपदिक) + गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + शिखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः ‘मन्दरगिरेः शिखरात्’

• निपतन्ती: falling down
• निपतन्ती: Karta (कर्ता, participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + पत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नदी-विशेषण

• पूर्वेण: on the eastern side
• पूर्वेण: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/दिशा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूतः; दिशावाचक-करण/मार्गवाचक (by the east side)

• इलावृतम्: Ilāvṛta (region)
• इलावृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इलावृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; देशनाम

• उपप्लावयति: floods/inundates
• उपप्लावयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + प्लु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative) भावः—‘to flood’

Characters & Entities

• Mandara-giri
• Ilāvṛta-varṣa
• Aruṇodā

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the Aruṇodā river?

In Canto 5, Chapter 16, Śukadeva describes Aruṇodā as a river formed from abundant, sweet, fragrant, reddish juice flowing down from Mandara Mountain, inundating Ilāvṛta-varṣa on the eastern side.

Why is Śukadeva Gosvāmī describing rivers and mountains in Canto 5?

He is explaining the sacred cosmography of Jambūdvīpa to Mahārāja Parīkṣit, presenting the universe as a divinely ordered creation meant to inspire remembrance of the Supreme Lord.

How can Bhagavatam cosmology be applied in modern devotional life?

Treat these descriptions as aids for śravaṇa (hearing) and smaraṇa (remembrance): they cultivate reverence for the Lord’s creation and deepen faith that all realms ultimately exist under His governance.