Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 7
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
प्लक्ष: स्वसमानेनेक्षुरसोदेनावृतो यथा तथा द्वीपोऽपि शाल्मलो द्विगुणविशाल: समानेन सुरोदेनावृत: परिवृङ्क्ते ॥ ७ ॥
plakṣaḥ sva-samānenekṣu-rasodenāvṛto yathā tathā dvīpo ’pi śālmalo dvi-guṇa-viśālaḥ samānena surodenāvṛtaḥ parivṛṅkte.
Just as Plakṣadvīpa is encircled by an ocean of sugarcane juice equal in breadth to the island itself, so the next island, Sālmalīdvīpa—twice as vast—is surrounded on all sides by an equally broad Surā-ocean, whose waters taste like liquor.
FAQs
This verse states that Śālmaladvīpa is twice the size of the previous island and is surrounded by an ocean of surā (liquor) of equal breadth.
He is explaining Bhū-maṇḍala—the ordered layout of the world-system—so the listener understands the Lord’s vast creation and the scriptural map of the universe.
It cultivates humility and God-consciousness by showing the immensity and design of creation, encouraging one to prioritize bhakti over material preoccupations.