Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 7.4.17
Sthāna· The universe in orderLearning Beyond Our Limited Experience
“By the flowing of their waves, the various oceans of the universe, along with their tributaries, the rivers, which are compared to their wives, supplied various kinds of gems and jewels for Hiraṇyakaśipu’s use. These oceans were the oceans of salt water, sugarcane juice, wine, clarified butter, milk, yogurt, and sweet water.”
What the purport teaches
- The oceans and their tributary rivers carried gems and jewels for Hiraṇyakaśipu’s use. These oceans contained different substances, including salt water, sugarcane juice, milk and yogurt.
- The rivers are figuratively called the wives of the oceans because they flow toward them as tributaries.
- Śrīla Prabhupāda follows the authority of Vyāsadeva and Śukadeva Gosvāmī in describing the universe. He contrasts their Vedic accounts with conclusions drawn from imperfect sense experience.
Try this today
Reread the list of oceans and note one detail beyond your everyday experience.
Ask yourself
How willing am I to learn about things beyond my own sense experience?
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.