SB 5.20.2 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

जम्बूद्वीपोऽयं यावत्प्रमाणविस्तारस्तावता क्षारोदधिना परिवेष्टितो यथा मेरुर्जम्ब्वाख्येन लवणोदधिरपि ततो द्विगुणविशालेन प्लक्षाख्येन परिक्षिप्तो यथा परिखा बाह्योपवनेन प्लक्षो जम्बूप्रमाणो द्वीपाख्याकरो हिरण्मय उत्थितो यत्राग्निरुपास्ते सप्तजिह्वस्तस्याधिपति: प्रियव्रतात्मज इध्मजिह्व: स्वं द्वीपं सप्तवर्षाणि विभज्य सप्तवर्षनामभ्य आत्मजेभ्य आकलय्य स्वयमात्मयोगेनोपरराम ॥ २ ॥

Verse text

jambūdvīpo ’yaṁ yāvat-pramāṇa-vistāras tāvatā kṣārodadhinā pariveṣṭito yathā merur jambv-ākhyena lavaṇodadhir api tato dvi-guṇa-viśālena plakṣākhyena parikṣipto yathā parikhā bāhyopavanena; plakṣo jambū-pramāṇo dvīpākhyākaro hiraṇmaya utthito yatrāgnir upāste sapta-jihvas tasyādhipatiḥ priyavratātmaja idhmajihvaḥ svaṁ dvīpaṁ sapta-varṣāṇi vibhajya sapta-varṣa-nāmabhya ātmajebhya ākalayya svayam ātma-yogenopararāma.

Synonyms

jambū — dvīpaḥ — Jambūdvīpa, the island named Jambū ; ayam — this ; yāvat — pramāṇa — vistāraḥ — as much as the measure of its width, namely 100,000 yojanas (one yojana equals eight miles) ; tāvatā — so much ; kṣāra — udadhinā — by the ocean of salt water ; pariveṣṭitaḥ — surrounded ; yathā — just as ; meruḥ — Sumeru Mountain ; jambū — ākhyena — by the island named Jambū ; lavaṇa — udadhiḥ — the ocean of salt water ; api — certainly ; tataḥ — thereafter ; dvi — guṇa — viśālena — which is twice as wide ; plakṣa — ākhyena — by the island named Plakṣa ; parikṣiptaḥ — surrounded ; yathā — like ; parikhā — a moat ; bāhya — external ; upavanena — by a gardenlike forest ; plakṣaḥ — a plakṣa tree ; jambū — pramāṇaḥ — having the height of the jambū tree ; dvīpa — ākhyā — karaḥ — causing the name of the island ; hiraṇmayaḥ — magnificently splendorous ; utthitaḥ — rising ; yatra — where ; agniḥ — a fire ; upāste — is situated ; sapta — jihvaḥ — having seven flames ; tasya — of that island ; adhipatiḥ — the king or master ; priyavrata — ātmajaḥ — the son of King Priyavrata ; idhma — jihvaḥ — named Idhmajihva ; svam — own ; dvīpam — island ; sapta — seven ; varṣāṇi — tracts of land ; vibhajya — dividing into ; sapta — varṣa — nāmabhyaḥ — for whom the seven tracts of land were named ; ātmajebhyaḥ — to his own sons ; ākalayya — offering ; svayam — personally ; ātma — yogena — by the devotional service of the Lord ; upararāma — he retired from all material activities .

Translation

As Sumeru Mountain is surrounded by Jambūdvīpa, Jambūdvīpa is also surrounded by an ocean of salt water. The breadth of Jambūdvīpa is 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles], and the breadth of the saltwater ocean is the same. As a moat around a fort is sometimes surrounded by gardenlike forest, the saltwater ocean surrounding Jambūdvīpa is itself surrounded by Plakṣadvīpa. The breadth of Plakṣadvīpa is twice that of the saltwater ocean — in other words 200,000 yojanas [1,600,000 miles]. On Plakṣadvīpa there is a tree shining like gold and as tall as the jambū tree on Jambūdvīpa. At its root is a fire with seven flames. It is because this tree is a plakṣa tree that the island is called Plakṣadvīpa. Plakṣadvīpa was governed by Idhmajihva, one of the sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata. He endowed the seven islands with the names of his seven sons, divided the islands among the sons, and then retired from active life to engage in the devotional service of the Lord.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

As Sumeru Mountain is surrounded by Jambūdvīpa, Jambūdvīpa is also surrounded by an ocean of salt water whose breadth is the same as that of Jambūdvīpa (100,000 yojanas.) As a moat around a fort is sometimes surrounded by gardenlike forest, the saltwater ocean surrounding Jambūdvīpa is itself surrounded by Plakṣadvīpa, whose breadth is twice that of the saltwater ocean (200,000 yojanas). On Plakṣadvīpa there is a plakṣa tree [Note: This seems to be the pippala tree. The dimensions of the Jambhū tree are mentioned in SB 5.16.12 as 1100 yojanas high and 100 yojanas wide. ] as tall as the jambū tree on Jambūdvīpa, after which the island gets its name. There is a blazing, upward fire with seven flames. Plakṣadvīpa was governed by Idhmajihva, one of the sons of Mahārāja Priyavrata. Idhmajihva, who named its seven varṣas after his seven sons, divided the varṣas among the sons, and then retired from active life to engage in the devotional service of the Lord. Parikṣitaḥ means surrounded. The fire remains predominant (upāste). Ākalaya means gave.