Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.20.29
Sthāna· The universe in orderPuṣkaradvīpa and Brahmā’s Golden Lotus
“Outside the ocean of yogurt is another island, known as Puṣkaradvīpa, which is 6,400,000 yojanas [51,200,000 miles] wide, twice as wide as the ocean of yogurt. It is surrounded by an ocean of very tasteful water as broad as the island itself. On Puṣkaradvīpa there is a great lotus flower with 100,000,000 pure golden petals, as effulgent as the flames of fire. That lotus flower is considered the sitting place of Lord Brahmā, who is the most powerful living being and who is therefore sometimes called bhagavān.”
What the purport teaches
- Puṣkaradvīpa lies beyond the ocean of yogurt and is 6,400,000 yojanas, or 51,200,000 miles, wide. An ocean of very tasteful water, equally broad, surrounds it.
- A great lotus flower on the island has 100,000,000 pure golden petals. Its brilliance resembles flames of fire.
- This lotus is considered the sitting place of Lord Brahmā. The verse describes him as the most powerful living being and explains that he is therefore sometimes called bhagavān.
Try this today
Write one sentence describing the golden lotus and whose sitting place it is.
Ask yourself
What reason does the verse give for sometimes calling Lord Brahmā bhagavān?
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.