Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 39
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
तदुपरिष्टाच्चतसृष्वाशास्वात्मयोनिनाखिलजगद्गुरुणाधिनिवेशिता ये द्विरदपतय ऋषभ: पुष्करचूडो वामनोऽपराजित इति सकललोकस्थितिहेतव: ॥ ३९ ॥
tad-upariṣṭāc catasṛṣv āśāsvātma-yoninākhila-jagad-guruṇādhiniveśitā ye dvirada-pataya ṛṣabhaḥ puṣkaracūḍo vāmano ’parājita iti sakala-loka-sthiti-hetavaḥ.
Au sommet du mont Lokāloka se tiennent les quatre gaja-patis, les plus nobles des éléphants, établis aux quatre directions par le seigneur Brahmā, maître spirituel de l’univers entier. Leurs noms sont Ṛṣabha, Puṣkaracūḍa, Vāmana et Aparājita. Ils veillent au maintien des systèmes planétaires.
FAQs
They are Ṛṣabha, Puṣkaracūḍa, Vāmana, and Aparājita—elephant-lords appointed in the four directions to uphold the stability of the worlds.
In the Fifth Canto, Śukadeva explains the ordered structure of the universe; mentioning Brahmā’s appointed guardians shows that cosmic stability is maintained through divinely arranged administration.
The verse emphasizes that stability comes from responsible stewardship—just as cosmic order is maintained by appointed guardians, human society thrives when duties are accepted and carried out in harmony with dharma.