Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 5: “The Creative Impetus”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Twenty

SB5.20.31

TEXT 31

tad-dvipasyapy adhipatih praiyavrato vitihotro namaitasyatmajau ramanaka-dhataki-namanau varsa-pati niyujya sa svayam purvajavad-bhagavat-karma-sila evaste.

SYNONYMS

tat-dvipasya—of that island; api—also; adhipatih—the ruler; praiyavratah—a son of Maharaja Priyavrata; vitihotrah nama—named Vitihotra; etasya—of him; atma-jau—unto the two sons; ramanaka—Ramanaka; dhataki—and Dhataki; namanau—having the names; varsa-pati—the rulers of the two tracts of land; niyujya—appointing; sah svayam—himself; purvaja-vat—like his other brothers; bhagavat-karma-silah—being absorbed in activities to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead; eva—indeed; aste—remains.

TRANSLATION

The ruler of this island, the son of Maharaja Priyavrata named Vitihotra, had two sons named Ramanaka and Dhataki. He granted the two sides of the island to these two sons and then personally engaged himself in activities for the sake of the Supreme Personality of Godhead like his elder brother Medhatithi.

SB5.20.32

TEXT 32

tad-varsa-purusa bhagavantam brahma-rupinam sakarmakena karmanaradhayantidam codaharanti.

SYNONYMS

tat-varsa-purusah—the inhabitants of that island; bhagavantam—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; brahma-rupinam—exhibited as Lord Brahma being seated on the lotus; sa-karmakena—for fulfillment of material desires; karmana—by performing ritualistic activities according to the Vedas; aradhayanti—worship; idam—this; ca—and; udaharanti—they chant.

TRANSLATION

For the fulfillment of material desires, the inhabitants of this tract of land worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead as represented by Lord Brahma. They offer prayers to the Lord as follows.

SB5.20.33

TEXT 33

yat tat karmamayam lingam

brahma-lingam jano ’rcayet

ekantam advayam santam

tasmai bhagavate nama iti

SYNONYMS

yat—which; tat—that; karma-mayam—obtainable by the Vedic ritualistic system; lingam—the form; brahma-lingam—which makes known the Supreme Brahman; janah—a person; arcayet—must worship; ekantam—who has full faith in the one Supreme; advayam—nondifferent; santam—peaceful; tasmai—unto him; bhagavate—the most powerful; namah—our respects; iti—thus.

TRANSLATION

Lord Brahma is known as karma-maya, the form of ritualistic ceremonies, because by performing ritualistic ceremonies one may attain his position and because the Vedic ritualistic hymns become manifest from him. He is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead without deviation, and therefore in one sense he is not different from the Lord. Nevertheless, he should be worshiped not as the monists worship him, but in duality. One should always remain a servitor of the Supreme Lord, the supreme worshipable Deity. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Lord Brahma, the form of manifest Vedic knowledge.

PURPORT

In this verse, the word karma-mayam (“obtainable by the Vedic ritualistic system”) is significant. The Vedas say, svadharma-nisthah sata janmabhih puman virincatam eti: “One who strictly follows the principles of varnasrama-dharma for at least one hundred births will be rewarded with the post of Lord Brahma.” It is also significant that although Lord Brahma is extremely powerful, he never thinks himself one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he always knows that he is an eternal servitor of the Lord. Because the Lord and the servant are identical on the spiritual platform, Brahma is herein addressed as bhagavan. Bhagavan is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, but if a devotee serves Him with full faith, the meaning of the Vedic literature is revealed to him. Therefore Brahma is called brahma-linga, which indicates that his entire form consists of Vedic knowledge.

SB5.20.34

TEXT 34

tatah parastal lokaloka-namacalo lokalokayor antarale parita upaksiptah.

SYNONYMS

tatah—from that ocean of sweet drinking water; parastat—beyond; lokaloka-nama—named Lokaloka; acalah—a mountain; loka-alokayoh antarale—between the countries full of sunlight and those without sunlight; paritah—all around; upaksiptah—exists.

TRANSLATION

Thereafter, beyond the ocean of sweet water and fully surrounding it, is a mountain named Lokaloka, which divides the countries that are full of sunlight from those not lit by the sun.

SB5.20.35

TEXT 35

yavan manasottara-mervor antaram tavati bhumih kancany anyadarsa-talopama yasyam prahitah padartho na kathancit punah pratyupalabhyate tasmat sarva-sattva-parihrtasit.

SYNONYMS

yavat—as much as; manasottara-mervoh antaram—the land between Manasottara and Meru (beginning from the middle of Mount Sumeru); tavati—that much; bhumih—land; kancani—made of gold; anya—another; adarsa-tala-upama—whose surface is just like the surface of a mirror; yasyam—on which; prahitah—dropped; padarthah—a thing; na—not; kathancit—in any way; punah—again; pratyupalabhyate—is found; tasmat—therefore; sarva-sattva—by all living entities; parihrta—abandoned; asit—was.

TRANSLATION

Beyond the ocean of sweet water is a tract of land as broad as the area between the middle of Mount Sumeru and the boundary of Manasottara Mountain. In that tract of land there are many living beings. Beyond it, extending to Lokaloka Mountain, is another land, which is made of gold. Because of its golden surface, it reflects light like the surface of a mirror, and any physical article that falls on that land can never be perceived again. All living entities, therefore, have abandoned that golden land.

SB5.20.36

TEXT 36

lokaloka iti samakhya yad anenacalena lokalokasyantarvar-tinavasthapyate.

SYNONYMS

loka—with light (or with inhabitants); alokah—without light (or without inhabitants); iti—in this way; samakhya—designation; yat—which; anena—by this; acalena—mountain; loka—of the land inhabited by living entities; alokasya—and of the land not inhabited by living entities; antarvartina—which is in the middle; avasthapyate—is established.

TRANSLATION

Between the lands inhabited by living entities and those that are uninhabited stands the great mountain which separates the two and which is therefore celebrated as Lokaloka.

SB5.20.37

TEXT 37

sa loka-trayante parita isvarena vihito yasmat suryadinam dhruvapavarganam jyotir-gananam gabhastayo ’rvacinams tril lokan avitanvana na kadacit paracina bhavitum utsahante tavad un-nahanayamah.

SYNONYMS

sah—that mountain; loka-traya-ante—at the end of the three lokas (Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka); paritah—all around; isvarena—by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna; vihitah—created; yasmat—from which; surya-adinam—of the sun planet; dhruva-apavarganam—up to Dhruvaloka and other, inferior luminaries; jyotih-gananam—of all the luminaries; gabhastayah—the rays; arvacinan—on this side; trin—the three; lokan—planetary systems; avitanvanah—spreading throughout; na—not; kadacit—at any time; paracinah—beyond the jurisdiction of that mountain; bhavitum—to be; utsahante—are able; tavat—that much; unnahana-ayamah—the measure of the height of the mountain.

TRANSLATION

By the supreme will of Krsna, the mountain known as Lokaloka has been installed as the outer border of the three worlds—Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka—to control the rays of the sun throughout the universe. All the luminaries, from the sun up to Dhruvaloka, distribute their rays throughout the three worlds, but only within the boundary formed by this mountain. Because it is extremely high, extending even higher than Dhruvaloka, it blocks the rays of the luminaries, which therefore can never extend beyond it.

PURPORT

When we speak of loka-traya, we refer to the three primary planetary systems—Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah—into which the universe is divided. Surrounding these planetary systems are the eight directions, namely east, west, north, south, northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. Lokaloka Mountain has been established as the outer boundary of all the lokas to distribute the rays of the sun and other luminaries equally throughout the universe.

This vivid description of how the rays of the sun are distributed throughout the different planetary systems of the universe is very scientific. Sukadeva Gosvami described these universal affairs to Maharaja Pariksit as he had heard about them from his predecessor. He explained these facts five thousand years ago, but the knowledge existed long, long before because Sukadeva Gosvami received it through disciplic succession. Because this knowledge is accepted through the disciplic succession, it is perfect. The history of modern scientific knowledge, on the contrary, does not go back more than a few hundred years. Therefore, even if modern scientists do not accept the other factual presentations of Srimad-Bhagavatam, how can they deny the perfect astronomical calculations that existed long before they could imagine such things? There is so much information to gather from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Modern scientists, however, have no information of other planetary systems and, indeed, are hardly conversant with the planet on which we are now living.

SB5.20.38

TEXT 38

etaval loka-vinyaso mana-laksana-samsthabhir vicintitah kavibhih sa tu pancasat-koti-ganitasya bhu-golasya turiya-bhago ’yam lokalokacalah.

SYNONYMS

etavan—this much; loka-vinyasah—the placing of the different planets; mana—with measurements; laksana—symptoms; samsthabhih—as well as with their different situations; vicintitah—established by scientific calculations; kavibhih—by learned scholars; sah—that; tu—but; pancasat-koti—500,000,000 yojanas; ganitasya—which is measured at; bhu-golasya—of the planetary system known as Bhugolaka; turiya-bhagah—one fourth; ayam—this; lokaloka-acalah—the mountain known as Lokaloka.

TRANSLATION

Learned scholars who are free from mistakes, illusions and propensities to cheat have thus described the planetary systems and their particular symptoms, measurements and locations. With great deliberation, they have established the truth that the distance between Sumeru and the mountain known as Lokaloka is one fourth of the diameter of the universe—or, in other words, 125,000,000 yojanas [1 billion miles].

PURPORT

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given accurate astronomical information about the location of Lokaloka Mountain, the movements of the sun globe and the distance between the sun and the circumference of the universe. However, the technical terms used in the astronomical calculations given by the Jyotir Veda are difficult to translate into English. Therefore to satisfy the reader, we may include the exact Sanskrit statement given by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, which records exact calculations regarding universal affairs.

sa tu lokalokas tu bhu-golakasya bhu-sambandhanda-golakasyety arthah; suryasy eva bhuvo ’py anda-golakayor madhya-vartitvat kha-golam iva bhu-golam api pancasat-koti-yojana-pramanam tasya turiya-bhagah sardha-dvadasa-koti-yojana-vistarocchraya ity arthah bhus tu catus-trimsal-laksonapancasat-koti-pramana jneya; yatha meru-madhyan manasottara-madhya-paryantam sardha-sapta-pancasal-laksottara-koti-yojana-pramanam; manasottara-madhyat svadudaka-samudra-paryantam san-navati-laksa-yojana-pramanam tatah kancani-bhumih sardha-sapta-pancasal-laksottara-koti-yojana-pramana evam ekato meru-lokalokayor antaralam ekadasa-sal-laksadhika-catus-koti-parimitam anyato ’pi tathatyeto lokalokal loka-paryantam sthanam dvavimsati-laksottarasta-koti-parimitam lokalokad bahir apy ekatah etavad eva anyato ’py etavad eva yad vaksyate, yo ’ntar-vistara etena hy aloka-parimanam ca vyakhyatam yad-bahir lokalokacalad ity ekato lokalokah sardha-dvadasa-koti-yojana-parimanah anyato ’pi sa tathety evam catus-trimsal-laksonapancasat-koti-pramana bhuh sabdhi-dvipa-parvata jneya; ata evanda-golakat sarvato diksu sapta-dasa-laksa-yojanavakase vartamane sati prthivyah sesa-nagena dharanam dig-gajais ca niscali-karanam sarthakam bhaved anyatha tu vyakhyantare pancasat-koti-pramanatvad anda-golaka-lagnatve tat tat sarvam akincit-karam syat caksuse manvantare cakasmat majjanam sri-varaha-devenotthapanam ca durghatam syad ity adikam vivecaniyam.

SB5.20.39

TEXT 39

tad-uparistac catasrsv asasvatma-yoninakhila-jagad-gurunadhinivesita ye dvirada-pataya rsabhah puskaracudo vamano ’parajita iti sakala-loka-sthiti-hetavah.

SYNONYMS

tat-uparistat—on the top of Lokaloka Mountain; catasrsu asasu—in the four directions; atma-yonina—by Lord Brahma; akhila-jagat-guruna—the spiritual master of the whole universe; adhinivesitah—established; ye—all those; dvirada-patayah—the best of elephants; rsabhah—Rsabha; puskara-cudah—Puskaracuda; vamanah—Vamana; aparajitah—Aparajita; iti—thus; sakala-loka-sthiti-hetavah—the causes of the maintenance of the different planets within the universe.

TRANSLATION

On the top of Lokaloka Mountain are the four gaja-patis, the best of elephants, which were established in the four directions by Lord Brahma, the supreme spiritual master of the entire universe. The names of those elephants are Rsabha, Puskaracuda, Vamana and Aparajita. They are responsible for maintaining the planetary systems of the universe.

SB5.20.40

TEXT 40

tesam sva-vibhutinam loka-palanam ca vividha-viryopabrmhanaya bhagavan parama-maha-puruso maha-vibhuti-patir antaryamy atmano visuddha-sattvam dharma-jnana-vairagyaisvaryady-asta-maha-siddhy-upalaksanam visvaksenadibhih sva-parsada-pravaraih parivarito nija-varayudhopasobhitair nija-bhuja-dandaih sandharayamanas tasmin giri-vare samantat sakala-loka-svastaya aste.

SYNONYMS

tesam—of all of them; sva-vibhutinam—who are his personal expansions and assistants; loka-palanam—who are entrusted with looking after the universal affairs; ca—and; vividha—varieties; virya-upabrmhanaya—for expanding the powers; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parama-maha-purusah—the foremost master of all kinds of opulence, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; maha-vibhuti-patih—the master of all inconceivable potencies; antaryami—the Supersoul; atmanah—of Himself; visuddha-sattvam—having an existence without contamination by the material modes of nature; dharma-jnana-vairagya—of religion, pure knowledge and renunciation; aisvarya-adi—of all kinds of opulence; asta—eight; maha-siddhi—and of great mystic perfections; upalaksanam—having the characteristics; visvaksena-adibhih—by His expansion known as Visvaksena and others; sva-parsada-pravaraih—the best of personal assistants; parivaritah—surrounded; nija—His own; vara-ayudha—by different types of weapons; upasobhitaih—being decorated; nija—own; bhuja-dandaih—with stout arms; sandharayamanah—manifesting this form; tasmin—on that; giri-vare—great mountain; samantat—all around; sakala-loka-svastaye—for the benefit of all the planetary systems; aste—exists.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the master of all transcendental opulences and the master of the spiritual sky. He is the Supreme Person, Bhagavan, the Supersoul of everyone. The demigods, led by Indra, the King of heaven, are entrusted with seeing to the affairs of the material world. To benefit all living beings in all the varied planets and to increase the power of those elephants and of the demigods, the Lord manifests Himself on top of that mountain in a spiritual body, uncontaminated by the modes of material nature. Surrounded by His personal expansions and assistants like Visvaksena, He exhibits all His perfect opulences, such as religion and knowledge, and His mystic powers such as anima, laghima and mahima. He is beautifully situated, and He is decorated by the different weapons in His four hands.

SB5.20.41

TEXT 41

akalpam evam vesam gata esa bhagavan atma-yogamayaya viracita-vividha-loka-yatra-gopiyayety arthah.

SYNONYMS

a-kalpam—for the duration of the time of creation; evam—thus; vesam—appearance; gatah—has accepted; esah—this; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; atma-yoga-mayaya—by His own spiritual potency; viracita—perfected; vividha-loka-yatra—the livelihood of the various planetary systems; gopiyaya—just to maintain; iti—thus; arthah—the purpose.

TRANSLATION

The various forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such as Narayana and Visnu, are beautifully decorated with different weapons. The Lord exhibits those forms to maintain all the varied planets created by His personal potency, yogamaya.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita (4.6) Lord Krsna says, sambhavamy atma-mayaya: “I appear by My internal potency. “The word atma-maya refers to the Lord’s personal potency, yogamaya. After creating both the material world and spiritual world through yogamaya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally maintains them by expanding Himself in different categories as the Visnu murtis and the demigods. He maintains the material creation from beginning to end, and He personally maintains the spiritual world.

SB5.20.42

TEXT 42

yo ’ntar-vistara etena hy aloka-parimanam ca vyakhyatam yad bahir lokalokacalat; tatah parastad yogesvara-gatim visuddham udaharanti.

SYNONYMS

yah—that which; antah-vistarah—the distance inside Lokaloka Mountain; etena—by this; hi—indeed; aloka-parimanam—the width of the tract of land known as Aloka-varsa; ca—and; vyakhyatam—described; yat—which; bahih—outside; lokaloka-acalat—beyond Lokaloka Mountain; tatah—that; parastat—beyond; yogesvara-gatim—the path of Yogesvara (Krsna) in penetrating the coverings of the universe; visuddham—without material contamination; udaharanti—they say.

TRANSLATION

My dear King, outside Lokaloka Mountain is the tract of land known as Aloka-varsa, which extends for the same breadth as the area within the mountain—in other words, 125,000,000 yojanas [one billion miles]. Beyond Aloka-varsa is the destination of those who aspire for liberation from the material world. It is beyond the jurisdiction of the material modes of nature, and therefore it is completely pure. Lord Krsna took Arjuna through this place to bring back the sons of the brahmana.

SB5.20.43

TEXT 43

anda-madhya-gatah suryo

dyav-abhumyor yad antaram

suryanda-golayor madhye

kotyah syuh panca-vimsatih

SYNONYMS

anda-madhya-gatah—situated in the center of the universe; suryah—the sun globe; dyav-abhumyoh—the two planetary systems Bhurloka and Bhuvarloka; yat—which; antaram—in between; surya—of the sun; anda-golayoh—and the globe of the universe; madhye—in the middle; kotyah—groups of ten million; syuh—are; panca-vimsatih—twenty-five.

TRANSLATION

The sun is situated [vertically] in the middle of the universe, in the area between Bhurloka and Bhuvarloka, which is called antariksa, outer space. The distance between the sun and the circumference of the universe is twenty-five koti yojanas [two billion miles].

PURPORT

The word koti means ten million, and a yojana is eight miles. The diameter of the universe is fifty koti yojanas (four billion miles). Therefore, since the sun is in the middle of the universe, the distance between the sun and the edge of the universe is calculated to be twenty-five koti yojanas (two billion miles).

SB5.20.44

TEXT 44

mrte ’nda esa etasmin yad abhut tato martanda iti vyapadesah; hiranyagarbha iti yad dhiranyanda-samudbhavah.

SYNONYMS

mrte—dead; ande—in the globe; esah—this; etasmin—in this; yat—which; abhut—entered personally at the time of creation; tatah—from that; martanda—Martanda; iti—thus; vyapadesah—the designation; hiranya-garbhah—known as Hiranyagarbha; iti—thus; yat—because; hiranya-anda-samudbhavah—his material body was created from Hiranyagarbha.

TRANSLATION

The sun-god is also known as Vairaja, the total material body for all living entities. Because he entered this dull egg of the universe at the time of creation, he is also called Martanda. He is also known as Hiranyagarbha because he received his material body from Hiranyagarbha [Lord Brahma].

PURPORT

The post of Lord Brahma is meant for very highly elevated, spiritually advanced living beings. When such living beings are unavailable, Lord Visnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, expands Himself as Lord Brahma. This takes place very rarely. Consequently there are two kinds of Brahmas. Sometimes Brahma is an ordinary living entity, and at other times Brahma is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Brahma spoken of here is an ordinary living being. Whether Brahma is the Supreme Personality of Godhead or an ordinary living being, he is known as Vairaja Brahma and Hiranyagarbha Brahma. Therefore the sun-god is also accepted as Vairaja Brahma.

SB5.20.45

TEXT 45

suryena hi vibhajyante

disah kham dyaur mahi bhida

svargapavargau naraka

rasaukamsi ca sarvasah

SYNONYMS

suryena—by the sun-god within the sun planet; hi—indeed; vibhajyante—are divided; disah—the directions; kham—the sky; dyauh—the heavenly planets; mahi—the earthly planets; bhida—other divisions; svarga—the heavenly planets; apavargau—and the places for liberation; narakah—the hellish planets; rasaukamsi—such as Atala; ca—also; sarvasah—all.

TRANSLATION

O King, the sun-god and the sun planet divide all the directions of the universe. It is only because of the presence of the sun that we can understand what the sky, the higher planets, this world and the lower planets are. It is also only because of the sun that we can understand which places are for material enjoyment, which are for liberation, which are hellish and subterranean.

SB5.20.46

TEXT 46

deva-tiryan-manusyanam

sarisrpa-savirudham

sarva-jiva-nikayanam

surya atma drg-isvarah

SYNONYMS

deva—of the demigods; tiryak—the lower animals; manusyanam—and the human beings; sarisrpa—the insects and the serpents; sa-virudham—and the plants and trees; sarva-jiva-nikayanam—of all groups of living entities; suryah—the sun-god; atma—the life and soul; drk—of the eyes; isvarah—the personality of Godhead.

TRANSLATION

All living entities, including demigods, human beings, animals, birds, insects, reptiles, creepers and trees, depend upon the heat and light given by the sun-god from the sun planet. Furthermore, it is because of the sun’s presence that all living entities can see, and therefore he is called drg-isvara, the Personality of Godhead presiding over sight.

PURPORT

In this regard, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says, surya atma atmatvenopasyah. The actual life and soul of all living entities within this universe is the sun. He is therefore upasya, worshipable. We worship the sun-god by chanting the Gayatri mantra (om bhur bhuvah svah tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi). Surya is the life and soul of this universe, and there are innumerable universes for which a sun-god is the life and soul, just as the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the life and soul of the entire creation. We have information that Vairaja, Hiranyagarbha, entered the great, dull, material globe called the sun. This indicates that the theory held by so-called scientists that no one lives there is wrong. Bhagavad-gita also says that Krsna first instructed Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god (imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]). Therefore the sun is not vacant. It is inhabited by living entities, and the predominating deity is Vairaja, or Vivasvan. The difference between the sun and earth is that the sun is a fiery planet, but everyone there has a suitable body and can live there without difficulty.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Twentieth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled, “Studying the Structure of the Universe.”

Next chapter (SB 5.21)