Shloka 5
Bhāratavarṣa–Navabheda-Vyavasthā
The Nine Divisions of Bhāratavarṣa and Its Sacred Geography
अयं तु नवमस्तेषां द्वीपस्सागरसंभृतः । योजनानां सहस्रं तु द्वीपोऽयं दक्षिणोत्तरः
ayaṃ tu navamasteṣāṃ dvīpassāgarasaṃbhṛtaḥ | yojanānāṃ sahasraṃ tu dvīpo'yaṃ dakṣiṇottaraḥ
Dies ist wahrlich die neunte unter jenen Inseln, vom Ozean umschlossen. Diese Insel misst tausend Yojanas und erstreckt sich von Süden nach Norden.
Suta Goswami
Sthala Purana: Describes the ninth dvīpa/region as ocean-girt with a north–south extent; this is cosmographic rather than a shrine-specific narrative.
Significance: Indirect: reinforces the purāṇic imagination of sacred space (dvīpa, sāgara) that later underwrites tīrtha-yātrā and kṣetra-mahātmyas.
FAQs
By describing the ordered structure of islands and oceans, the Purana frames the manifest cosmos as a measurable, governed realm—encouraging detachment and a turn toward Pati (Shiva) as the transcendent Lord beyond worldly dimensions.
Cosmological descriptions set the stage for Saguna Shiva’s lordship over creation: the world has extent and order, while Shiva—worshiped as Linga—stands as the grounding reality and inner support of all realms.
No specific rite is prescribed in this verse; a practical takeaway is dhyāna on Shiva as the indwelling ruler of all worlds while repeating the Panchakshara mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to transcend fixation on worldly measures.