Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.24.9
Sthāna· The universe in orderBeautiful Cities in the Imitation Heavens
“My dear King, in the imitation heavens known as bila-svarga there is a great demon named Maya Dānava, who is an expert artist and architect. He has constructed many brilliantly decorated cities. There are many wonderful houses, walls, gates, assembly houses, temples, yards and temple compounds, as well as many hotels serving as residential quarters for foreigners. The houses for the leaders of these planets are constructed with the most valuable jewels, and they are always crowded with living entities known as Nāgas and Asuras, as well as many pigeons, parrots and similar birds. All in all, these imitation heavenly cities are most beautifully situated and attractively decorated.”
What the purport teaches
- Maya Dānava is an expert artist and architect in the imitation heavens called bila-svarga. He has constructed brilliantly decorated cities.
- These cities contain wonderful houses, walls, gates, assembly houses, temples, yards and temple compounds. They also have hotels for visitors from elsewhere.
- The leaders’ houses are built with valuable jewels and crowded with Nāgas, Asuras and birds such as pigeons and parrots. The cities are beautifully situated and attractively decorated.
Try this today
Choose one detail from these cities and write it beside the phrase “imitation heavens.”
Ask yourself
What do I notice about the contrast between such beautiful cities and their description as imitation heavens?
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.