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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 5 · The Creative Impetus · 26 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›
Canto 5 · Chapter 16: A Description of Jambūdvīpa
5.15.165.16.2

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.16.1

Sthāna· The universe in order
Who is speaking and story frame
Speaking:King Parīkṣitsince 5.16.1inside 2 frames: Sūta Gosvāmī → the sages at NaimiṣāraṇyaŚukadeva Gosvāmī → King Parīkṣit

राजोवाच

उक्तस्त्वया भूमण्डलायामविशेषो यावदादित्यस्तपति यत्र चासौ ज्योतिषां गणैश्चन्द्रमा वा सह द‍ृश्यते ॥ १ ॥

rājovāca

uktas tvayā bhū-maṇḍalāyāma-viśeṣo yāvad ādityas tapati yatra cāsau jyotiṣāṁ gaṇaiś candramā vā saha dṛśyate.

Translation

King Parīkṣit said to Śukadeva Gosvāmī: O brāhmaṇa, you have already informed me that the radius of Bhū-maṇḍala extends as far as the sun spreads its light and heat and as far as the moon and all the stars can be seen.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Bhū-maṇḍala Extends to the Limits of Sunshine

  1. 1

    King Parīkṣit recalls that Bhū-maṇḍala extends as far as the sun spreads its light and heat, and where the moon and stars can be seen.

  2. 2

    The purport explains that bhūr in the Gāyatrī mantra refers to Bhū-maṇḍala. It describes the stars as reflecting sunshine, like the moon.

  3. 3

    The locations of the planetary systems were known to the sages of the Vedic age. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sharing knowledge that was already ancient.

Key points from the purport
  • In this verse it is stated that the planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala extends to the limits of the sunshine.
  • If we calculate according to this modern information, 93,000,000 miles can be considered the radius of Bhū-maṇḍala.
  • Like the moon, the stars reflect the sunshine.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

Connected verses· 1

The purport of SB 5.16.1 quotesBG 10.21

From Bhagavad-gītā (10.21) we understand that the stars are similar to the moon (nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī).

Each link is a verse the purport itself quotes, or a purport elsewhere that quotes this verse, shown with the purport's own words.

How it feels

Smallness → Awe and reverence. A vast cosmos changes the reader's perspective.

Chapters 15–25 of Canto 5: The cosmic regions and divine worship. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 16: A Description of Jambūdvīpa

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

While describing the character of Mahārāja Priyavrata and his descendants, Śukadeva Gosvāmī also described Meru Mountain and the planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala. Bhū-maṇḍala is like a lotus flower, and its seven islands are compared to the whorl of the lotus.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.16
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. rājā uvācaMahārāja Parīkṣit said
  2. uktaḥalready been said
  3. tvayāby you
  4. bhū-maṇḍalaof the planetary system known as Bhū-maṇḍala
  5. āyāma-viśeṣaḥthe specific length of the radius
  6. yāvatas far as
  7. ādityaḥthe sun
  8. tapatiheats
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Sthāna · Planetary systems

    How is the universe arranged, and what is our right place in it? · Subject 3 of 10

  • Rāja-dharma · Devotional leadership

    Serving and protecting through responsibility. · Theme in SB 5.16

    In this verse: “king”

  • Jñāna · Spiritual insight

    Inquiry, revelation and discrimination between self and matter. · Theme in SB 5.16

    In this verse: “knowledge”

Chapter themes come from the story phase this chapter belongs to.

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does Parīkṣit’s careful recollection teach me about listening?

Practice

Reread the translation today and summarize in one sentence what Parīkṣit remembered.

Live this todayBhū-maṇḍala Extends to the Limits of SunshineThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 5.16.1? Get an answer from the verses themselves.
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