Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 19
Bhū-maṇḍala as a Lotus: Jambūdvīpa, Ilāvṛta, and the Meru System
Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, and Brahmapurī
एवं जम्बूफलानामत्युच्चनिपातविशीर्णानामनस्थिप्रायाणामिभकायनिभानां रसेन जम्बू नाम नदी मेरुमन्दरशिखरादयुतयोजनादवनितले निपतन्ती दक्षिणेनात्मानं यावदिलावृतमुपस्यन्दयति ॥ १९ ॥
evaṁ jambū-phalānām atyucca-nipāta-viśīrṇānām anasthi-prāyāṇām ibha-kāya-nibhānāṁ rasena jambū nāma nadī meru-mandara-śikharād ayuta-yojanād avani-tale nipatantī dakṣiṇenātmānaṁ yāvad ilāvṛtam upasyandayati.
Cũng vậy, trái của cây jambū rơi từ độ cao lớn rồi vỡ vụn. Chúng đầy thịt, hạt rất nhỏ, và to như thân voi. Nước ép từ đó trôi đi thành sông Jambū-nadī. Con sông này rơi xuống từ đỉnh Merumandara một khoảng 10.000 do-tuần, chảy về phía nam Ilāvṛta và làm ngập khắp Ilāvṛta bằng dòng nước ép ấy.
We can only imagine how much juice there might be in a fruit that is the size of an elephant but has a very tiny seed. Naturally the juice from the broken jambū fruits forms waterfalls and floods the entire land of Ilāvṛta. That juice produces an immense quantity of gold, as will be explained in the next verses.
FAQs
In 5.16.19, Śukadeva explains that the river named Jambū flows from the juice of massive jambu fruits that shatter after falling from great heights, and it descends from the Meru-mandara summit to irrigate Ilāvṛta-varṣa.
He is answering Parīkṣit’s inquiries about the structure of the universe as presented in the Bhāgavatam, giving a sacred-geographical description meant to orient the listener toward the Lord’s ordered creation.
Use it as a reminder that creation is purposeful and governed by the Supreme; it can deepen humility and strengthen bhakti by seeing the world as the Lord’s arrangement rather than a random accident.