Shloka 21
The Six Dvīpas Beyond Jambūdvīpa and the Cosmic Boundary of Lokāloka
आमो मधुरुहो मेघपृष्ठ: सुधामा भ्राजिष्ठो लोहितार्णो वनस्पतिरिति घृतपृष्ठसुतास्तेषां वर्षगिरय: सप्त सप्तैव नद्यश्चाभिख्याता: शुक्लो वर्धमानो भोजन उपबर्हिणो नन्दो नन्दन: सर्वतोभद्र इति अभया अमृतौघा आर्यका तीर्थवती रूपवती पवित्रवती शुक्लेति ॥ २१ ॥
āmo madhuruho meghapṛṣṭhaḥ sudhāmā bhrājiṣṭho lohitārṇo vanaspatir iti ghṛtapṛṣṭha-sutās teṣāṁ varṣa-girayaḥ sapta saptaiva nadyaś cābhikhyātāḥ śuklo vardhamāno bhojana upabarhiṇo nando nandanaḥ sarvatobhadra iti abhayā amṛtaughā āryakā tīrthavatī rūpavatī pavitravatī śukleti.
ഘൃതപൃഷ്ഠ മഹാരാജന്റെ പുത്രന്മാർ—ആമ, മധുരുഹ, മേഘപൃഷ്ഠ, സുധാമാ, ഭ്രാജിഷ്ഠ, ലോഹിതാർണ, വനസ്പതി. അവരുടെ ദ്വീപിൽ ഏഴ് പർവ്വതങ്ങൾ—ശുക്ല, വർധമാന, ഭോജന, ഉപബർഹിണ, നന്ദ, നന്ദന, സർവതോഭദ്ര; കൂടാതെ ഏഴ് നദികൾ—അഭയാ, അമൃതൗഘാ, ആർയകാ, തീർത്ഥവതീ, രൂപവതീ, പവിത്രവതീ, ശുക്ലാ।
FAQs
This verse lists seven renowned mountains (Śukla, Vardhamāna, Bhojana, Upabarhiṇa, Nanda, Nandana, Sarvatobhadra) and seven renowned rivers (Abhayā, Amṛtaughā, Āryakā, Tīrthavatī, Rūpavatī, Pavitravatī, Śuklā) associated with the regions described in Bhagavatam 5.20.
In Canto 5, Śukadeva systematically describes the universe’s sacred geography to answer Parīkṣit’s inquiries and to situate devotional understanding within the Bhagavata’s cosmological vision—showing that the world is arranged under divine order.
Even if one does not map every detail physically, the verse encourages a devotional worldview: seeing creation as purposeful and sacred, and approaching study (śravaṇa) with humility—using knowledge to deepen remembrance of the Supreme rather than mere curiosity.