Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.17.6
Sthāna· The universe in orderSītā Flows Toward the Eastern Ocean
“The branch of the Ganges known as the Sītā flows through Brahmapurī atop Mount Meru, and from there it runs down to the nearby peaks of the Kesarācala Mountains, which stand almost as high as Mount Meru itself. These mountains are like a bunch of filaments around Mount Meru. From the Kesarācala Mountains, the Ganges falls to the peak of Gandhamādana Mountain and then flows into the land of Bhadrāśva-varṣa. Finally it reaches the ocean of salt water in the east.”
What the purport teaches
- The Sītā branch flows through Brahmapurī atop Mount Meru and descends to the Kesarācala Mountains.
- The Kesarācala Mountains stand almost as high as Mount Meru and surround it like a bunch of filaments. From there, Sītā falls to the peak of Gandhamādana Mountain.
- Sītā then flows through Bhadrāśva-varṣa and finally reaches the saltwater ocean in the east.
Try this today
Trace Sītā’s route on paper using the place names in the translation.
Ask yourself
Which details help me follow Sītā’s journey from the mountain to the ocean?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.