Shloka 8
Bhū-maṇḍala as a Lotus: Jambūdvīpa, Ilāvṛta, and the Meru System
Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, and Brahmapurī
उत्तरोत्तरेणेलावृतं नील: श्वेत: शृङ्गवानिति त्रयो रम्यकहिरण्मयकुरूणां वर्षाणां मर्यादागिरय: प्रागायता उभयत: क्षारोदावधयो द्विसहस्रपृथव एकैकश: पूर्वस्मात्पूर्वस्मादुत्तर उत्तरो दशांशाधिकांशेन दैर्घ्य एव ह्रसन्ति ॥ ८ ॥
uttarottareṇelāvṛtaṁ nīlaḥ śvetaḥ śṛṅgavān iti trayo ramyaka-hiraṇmaya-kurūṇāṁ varṣāṇāṁ maryādā-girayaḥ prāg-āyatā ubhayataḥ kṣārodāvadhayo dvi-sahasra-pṛthava ekaikaśaḥ pūrvasmāt pūrvasmād uttara uttaro daśāṁśādhikāṁśena dairghya eva hrasanti.
Tepat di utara Ilāvṛta-varṣa, dan semakin ke utara berturut-turut, terdapat tiga gunung: Nīla, Śveta dan Śṛṅgavān. Gunung-gunung ini menjadi sempadan bagi varṣa Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya dan Kuru serta memisahkan antara satu sama lain. Lebarnya masing-masing dua ribu yojana dan memanjang timur–barat hingga ke pantai samudra air masin. Dari selatan ke utara, panjang setiap gunung berkurang sepersepuluh daripada gunung sebelumnya, namun ketinggiannya sama.
In this regard, Madhvācārya quotes the following verses from the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa:
FAQs
It states that to the north of Ilāvṛta are three boundary mountain ranges—Nīla, Śveta, and Śṛṅgavān—marking the limits of Ramyaka, Hiraṇmaya, and Kuru varṣas, each two thousand yojanas wide and progressively shorter in length toward the north.
Śukadeva explains the structure of the Lord’s universe to situate the listener in a theistic cosmos where all regions are arranged under divine order, strengthening Parīkṣit’s absorption in Bhagavān rather than worldly fear.
It cultivates humility and God-centered perspective—seeing the world as purposeful and governed—encouraging steadiness in bhakti, detachment from ego, and reverence for the Lord’s creation.