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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 ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 5.20.24

Who is speaking and story frame

एवं पुरस्तात्क्षीरोदात्परित उपवेशित: शाकद्वीपो द्वात्रिंशल्लक्षयोजनायाम: समानेन च दधिमण्डोदेन परीतो यस्मिन् शाको नाम महीरुह: स्वक्षेत्रव्यपदेशको यस्य ह महासुरभिगन्धस्तं द्वीपमनुवासयति ॥ २४ ॥

evaṁ purastāt kṣīrodāt parita upaveśitaḥ śākadvīpo dvātriṁśal-lakṣa-yojanāyāmaḥ samānena ca dadhi-maṇḍodena parīto yasmin śāko nāma mahīruhaḥ sva-kṣetra-vyapadeśako yasya ha mahā-surabhi-gandhas taṁ dvīpam anuvāsayati.

Translation

Outside the Ocean of Milk is another island, Śākadvīpa, which has a width of 3,200,000 yojanas [25,600,000 miles]. As Krauñcadvīpa is surrounded by its own ocean of milk, Śākadvīpa is surrounded by an ocean of churned yogurt as broad as the island itself. In Śākadvīpa there is a big śāka tree, from which the island takes its name. This tree is very fragrant. Indeed, it lends its scent to the entire island.

Read this verse on Vedabase.io

This verse has no purport; its meaning is explained by the verses around it.

1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

Śākadvīpa and Its Fragrant Tree

  1. 1

    Śākadvīpa lies outside the Ocean of Milk and is 3,200,000 yojanas, or 25,600,000 miles, wide.

  2. 2

    An ocean of churned yogurt surrounds Śākadvīpa. This ocean is as broad as the island itself.

  3. 3

    The island takes its name from a large śāka tree. The tree’s fragrance spreads throughout the entire island.

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 20: Studying the Structure of the Universe

From the chapter summary, the lines nearest this verse:

The fifth island, Śākadvīpa, which is 25,600,000 miles wide, is surrounded by an ocean of yogurt. Its master is Medhātithi, another son of Mahārāja Priyavrata.
Read the whole chapter summaryBack to this verse in chapter 5.20
2

Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. evamthus
  2. purastātbeyond
  3. kṣīra-udātfrom the Ocean of Milk
  4. paritaḥall around
  5. upaveśitaḥsituated
  6. śāka-dvīpaḥanother island, known as Śākadvīpa
  7. dvā-triṁśatthirty-two
  8. lakṣa100,000
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

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

Which detail helps you remember the description of Śākadvīpa?

Practice

Write down the island’s name, its surrounding ocean and the tree that gives it its name.

Live this todayŚākadvīpa and Its Fragrant TreeThis 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 5.20.24? Get an answer from the verses themselves.