Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 21
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
आमो मधुरुहो मेघपृष्ठ: सुधामा भ्राजिष्ठो लोहितार्णो वनस्पतिरिति घृतपृष्ठसुतास्तेषां वर्षगिरय: सप्त सप्तैव नद्यश्चाभिख्याता: शुक्लो वर्धमानो भोजन उपबर्हिणो नन्दो नन्दन: सर्वतोभद्र इति अभया अमृतौघा आर्यका तीर्थवती रूपवती पवित्रवती शुक्लेति ॥ २१ ॥
āmo madhuruho meghapṛṣṭhaḥ sudhāmā bhrājiṣṭho lohitārṇo vanaspatir iti ghṛtapṛṣṭha-sutās teṣāṁ varṣa-girayaḥ sapta saptaiva nadyaś cābhikhyātāḥ śuklo vardhamāno bhojana upabarhiṇo nando nandanaḥ sarvatobhadra iti abhayā amṛtaughā āryakā tīrthavatī rūpavatī pavitravatī śukleti.
The sons of Mahārāja Ghṛtapṛṣṭha were named Āma, Madhuruha, Meghapṛṣṭha, Sudhāmā, Bhrājiṣṭha, Lohitārṇa and Vanaspati. In their island there are seven mountains, which indicate the boundaries of the seven tracts of land, and there are also seven rivers. The mountains are named Śukla, Vardhamāna, Bhojana, Upabarhiṇa, Nanda, Nandana and Sarvatobhadra. The rivers are named Abhayā, Amṛtaughā, Āryakā, Tīrthavatī, Rūpavatī, Pavitravatī and Śuklā.
FAQs
This verse lists seven renowned mountains (Śukla, Vardhamāna, Bhojana, Upabarhiṇa, Nanda, Nandana, Sarvatobhadra) and seven renowned rivers (Abhayā, Amṛtaughā, Āryakā, Tīrthavatī, Rūpavatī, Pavitravatī, Śuklā) associated with the regions described in Bhagavatam 5.20.
In Canto 5, Śukadeva systematically describes the universe’s sacred geography to answer Parīkṣit’s inquiries and to situate devotional understanding within the Bhagavata’s cosmological vision—showing that the world is arranged under divine order.
Even if one does not map every detail physically, the verse encourages a devotional worldview: seeing creation as purposeful and sacred, and approaching study (śravaṇa) with humility—using knowledge to deepen remembrance of the Supreme rather than mere curiosity.