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
This, indeed, is the ninth among those islands—encircled by the ocean. This island extends a thousand yojanas in measure, stretching from south to north.
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.