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Shloka 12

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

Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, and Brahmapurī

चतुर्ष्वेतेषु चूतजम्बूकदम्बन्यग्रोधाश्चत्वार: पादप प्रवरा: पर्वतकेतव इवाधिसहस्रयोजनोन्नाहास्तावद् विटपविततय: शतयोजनपरिणाहा: ॥ १२ ॥

caturṣv eteṣu cūta-jambū-kadamba-nyagrodhāś catvāraḥ pādapa-pravarāḥ parvata-ketava ivādhi-sahasra-yojanonnāhās tāvad viṭapa-vitatayaḥ śata-yojana-pariṇāhāḥ.

Auf den Gipfeln dieser vier Berge stehen, wie Fahnenmasten, vier erhabene Bäume: der Mangobaum, der Jambu (Rosenapfel), der Kadamba und der Banyan. Ihre Breite beträgt hundert Yojanas, ihre Höhe elfhundert Yojanas, und ebenso weit breiten sich ihre Äste aus.

चतुःषुin (the) four
चतुःषु:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (गणनाशब्द-प्रयोग), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), बहुवचन; 'in four' (स्थाने)
एतेषुamong these
एतेषु:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
चूत-जम्बू-कदम्ब-न्यग्रोधाः(the trees) mango, jambū, kadamba, and banyan
चूत-जम्बू-कदम्ब-न्यग्रोधाः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootचूत + जम्बू + कदम्ब + न्यग्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चारः वृक्ष-नामानि)
चत्वारःfour
चत्वारः:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषणम् (वृक्षाः)
पादप-प्रवराःthe foremost trees
पादप-प्रवराः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootपादप + प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पादपानां प्रवराः)
पर्वत-केतवःas banners of mountains
पर्वत-केतवः:
Upamana (उपमान/Standard of comparison)
TypeNoun
Rootपर्वत + केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (पर्वतानां केतवः)
इवlike; as if
इव:
Upama (उपमा/Comparison marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव (अव्यय)
Formउपमा-सूचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)
अधि-सहस्र-योजन-उन्नाहाःmore than a thousand yojanas tall
अधि-सहस्र-योजन-उन्नाहाः:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootअधि + सहस्र + योजन + उन्नाह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (पादप-प्रवराः); 'over a thousand yojanas in height'
तावत्so much; to that extent
तावत्:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Extent)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
Formपरिमाण-सूचक अव्यय (adverb of extent)
विटप-विततयःthe spread of branches
विटप-विततयः:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootविटप + वितति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (विटपानां विततयः)
शत-योजन-परिणाहाःhaving a girth of a hundred yojanas
शत-योजन-परिणाहाः:
Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootशत + योजन + परिणाह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (विटप-विततयः)
Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī
M
Mahārāja Parīkṣit

FAQs

This verse says that in each of the four regions there is a foremost tree—mango, jambu, kadamba, and banyan—immensely tall (over a thousand yojanas) with vast branch-spread and huge trunk circumference.

Śukadeva explains the Lord’s ordered creation and sacred geography to broaden Parīkṣit’s understanding of the universe as the Lord’s arrangement, strengthening remembrance and devotion through hearing (śravaṇam).

Even without mapping every detail, a seeker can take the lesson that creation is vast and purposeful, cultivating humility and God-consciousness by hearing and reflecting on the Lord’s design.