Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 13
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
एवं सुरोदाद्बहिस्तद्द्विगुण: समानेनावृतो घृतोदेन यथापूर्व: कुशद्वीपो यस्मिन् कुशस्तम्बो देवकृतस्तद्द्वीपाख्याकरो ज्वलन इवापर: स्वशष्परोचिषा दिशो विराजयति ॥ १३ ॥
evaṁ surodād bahis tad-dvi-guṇaḥ samānenāvṛto ghṛtodena yathā-pūrvaḥ kuśa-dvīpo yasmin kuśa-stambo deva-kṛtas tad-dvīpākhyākaro jvalana ivāparaḥ sva-śaṣpa-rociṣā diśo virājayati.
Au-delà de l’océan de liqueur se trouve une autre île nommée Kuśadvīpa, deux fois plus large que cet océan. Elle est entourée d’un océan de ghee liquide, aussi vaste que l’île elle-même. Sur Kuśadvīpa se dressent des touffes d’herbe kuśa, créées par les devas selon la volonté du Seigneur Suprême; c’est d’elles que l’île tient son nom. Cette kuśa brille comme un second feu, mais d’une flamme douce et plaisante, illuminant toutes les directions.
From the descriptions in this verse, we can make an educated guess about the nature of the flames on the moon. Like the sun, the moon must also be full of flames because without flames there cannot be illumination. The flames on the moon, however, unlike those on the sun, must be mild and pleasing. This is our conviction. The modern theory that the moon is full of dust is not accepted in the verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In regard to this verse, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, suśaṣpāṇi sukomala-śikhās teṣāṁ rociṣā: the kuśa grass illuminates all directions, but its flames are very mild and pleasing. This gives some idea of the flames existing on the moon.
FAQs
In 5.20.13, Kuśadvīpa is described as an island-continent beyond the ocean of surā, encircled by an ocean of ghee, and distinguished by a divine clump of kuśa grass that illuminates the directions and gives the island its name.
This verse presents the dvīpa-and-ocean pattern where each island is encircled by a specific ocean; the “ocean of ghee” is part of the Bhagavatam’s sacred cosmographic description, emphasizing ordered, purposeful creation rather than ordinary earthly geography.
The verse encourages reverence for divine order and sacred vision: seeing the cosmos as meaningful and God-governed can cultivate humility, steadiness, and devotion rather than a purely materialistic outlook.