Srimad Bhagavatam: Srimad Bhagvatam 5.20.6-13 | His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Archives

Verse: Srimad Bhagvatam 5.20.6-13

Date: August 30th, 2014

Place: ISKCON Mayapur, India

[SB 5.20.6]

plakṣādiṣu pañcasu puruṣāṇām āyur indriyam ojaḥ saho balaḿ buddhir vikrama iti ca sarveṣām autpattikī siddhir aviśeṣeṇa vartate

TRANSLATION

O King, longevity, sensory prowess, physical and mental strength, intelligence and bravery are naturally and equally manifested in all the inhabitants of the five islands headed by Plakṣadvīpa.

[SB 5.20.7]

plakṣaḥ sva-samānenekṣu-rasodenāvṛto yathā tathā dvīpo 'pi śālmalo dvi-guṇa-viśālaḥ samānena surodenāvṛtaḥ parivṛńkte

TRANSLATION

Plakṣadvīpa is surrounded by an ocean of sugarcane juice, equal in breadth to the island itself. Similarly, there is then another island — Sālmalīdvīpa — twice as broad as Plakṣadvīpa [400,000 yojanas, or 3,200,000 miles] and surrounded by an equally broad body of water called Surāsāgara, the ocean that tastes like liquor.

[SB 5.20.8]

yatra ha vai śālmalī plakṣāyāmā yasyāḿ vāva kila nilayam āhur bhagavataś chandaḥ-stutaḥ patattri-rājasya sā dvīpa-hūtaye upalakṣyate

TRANSLATION

On Sālmalīdvīpa there is a śālmalī tree, from which the island takes its name. That tree is as broad and tall as the plakṣa tree — in other words 100 yojanas [800 miles] broad and 1,100 yojanas [8,800 miles] tall. Learned scholars say that this gigantic tree is the residence of Garuḍa, the king of all birds and carrier of Lord Viṣṇu. In that tree, Garuḍa offers Lord Viṣṇu his Vedic prayers.

[SB 5.20.9]

tad-dvīpādhipatiḥ priyavratātmajo yajñabāhuḥ sva-sutebhyaḥ saptabhyas tan-nāmāni sapta-varṣāṇi vyabhajat surocanaḿ saumanasyaḿ ramaṇakaḿ deva-varṣaḿpāribhadram āpyāyanam avijñātam iti

TRANSLATION

The son of Mahārāja Priyavrata named Yajñabāhu, the master of Sālmalīdvīpa, divided the island into seven tracts of land, which he gave to his seven sons. The names of those divisions, which correspond to the names of the sons, are Surocana, Saumanasya, Ramaṇaka, Deva-varṣa, Pāribhadra, Āpyāyana and Avijñāta.

[SB 5.20.10]

teṣu varṣādrayo nadyaś ca saptaivābhijñātāḥ svarasaḥ śataśṛńgo vāmadevaḥ kundo mukundaḥ puṣpa-varṣaḥ sahasra-śrutir iti; anumatiḥ sinīvālī sarasvatī kuhū rajanīnandā rāketi

TRANSLATION

In those tracts of land there are seven mountains — Svarasa, Śataśṛńga, Vāmadeva, Kunda, Mukunda, Puṣpa-varṣa and Sahasra-śruti. There are also seven rivers — Anumati, Sinīvālī, Sarasvatī, Kuhū, Rajanī, Nandā and Rākā. They are still existing.

[SB 5.20.11)

tad-varṣa-puruṣāḥ śrutadhara-vīryadhara-vasundhareṣandhara-saḿjñā bhagavantaḿ vedamayaḿ somam ātmānaḿ vedena yajante

TRANSLATION

Strictly following the cult of varṇāśrama-dharma, the inhabitants of those islands, who are known as Śrutidharas, Vīryadharas, Vasundharas and Iṣandharas, all worship the expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead named Soma, the moon-God.

[SB 5.20.12]

sva-gobhiḥ pitṛ-devebhyo

vibhajan kṛṣṇa-śuklayoḥ

prajānāḿ sarvāsāḿ rājā-

ndhaḥ somo na āstv iti

TRANSLATION

[The inhabitants of Śālmalīdvīpa worship the demigod of the moon in the following words.] By his own rays, the moon-God has divided the month into two fortnights, known as śukla and kṛṣṇa, for the distribution of food grains to the pitās and the demigods. The demigod of the moon is he who divides time, and he is the king of all the residents of the universe. We therefore pray that he may remain our king and guide, and we offer him our respectful obeisances.

[SB 5.20.13]

evaḿ surodād bahiś tad-dvi-guṇaḥ samānenāvṛto ghṛtodena yathā-pūrvaḥ kuśa-dvīpo yasmin kuśa-stambo deva-kṛtas tad-dvīpākhyākaro jvalana ivāparaḥ sva-śaṣpa-rociṣā diśo virājayati

TRANSLATION

Outside the ocean of liquor is another island, known as Kuśadvīpa, which is 800,000 yojanas [6,400,000 miles] wide, twice as wide as the ocean of liquor. As Śālmalīdvīpa is surrounded by a liquor ocean, Kuśadvīpa is surrounded by an ocean of liquid ghee as broad as the island itself. On Kuśadvīpa there are clumps of kuśagrass, from which the island takes its name. This kuśa grass, which was created by the demigods by the will of the Supreme Lord, appears like a second form of fire, but with very mild and pleasing flames. Its young shoots illuminate all directions.

PURPORT

From the descriptions in this verse, we can make an educated guess about the nature of the flames on the moon. Like the sun, the moon must also be full of flames because without flames there cannot be illumination. The flames on the moon, however, unlike those on the sun, must be mild and pleasing. This is our conviction. The modern theory that the moon is full of dust is not accepted in the verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In regard to this verse, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, suśaṣpāṇi sukomala-śikhās teṣāḿ rociṣā: the kuśa grass illuminates all directions, but its flames are very mild and pleasing. This gives some idea of the flames existing on the moon.

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

nāma oṁ vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhūtale

śrīmate bhaktivedanta-swamin iti nāmine

namas te saraswate deve gaura-vani-pracharine

nirvishesha shunyavadi pashchatya desha tāriṇe

I will read the verse again.

So, this fifth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is giving us a very clear understanding of the structure of the universe. Haribol! Anuttamā prabhu ki jaya. Hare Krishna.

So, this description doesn’t really properly confront with the or rather confirm with- doesn’t come in line with the modern understanding of the universe. Actually, the modern understanding of the universe is very vague and unscientific whereas the Vedic information all are very scientific. Vedas are absolutely scientific. Like the modern science say that moon is reflecting the light of the sun. Now if we consider that the moon reflects the light of the sun then we have to consider that the surface of moon is like a mirror because only mirror reflects. The opaque object doesn’t reflect, it is visible but it doesn’t reflect the light and then they claim that they have gone to moon but according to the Vedic understanding the moon is further away from the sun, not that moon is rotating around the earth but moon is- they think moon is closest to the earth, closest luminary to the earth planet but according to the Vedic understanding the distance of moon is twice as much as that of sun. So, these are direct confrontations, contradiction of the modern understanding. Vedas are always very scientific.

We see even the things that are within our sense perception, Vedas are giving very, very clear understanding like for example the modern science doesn’t accept the existence of soul, but the Vedas are not only saying that wherever there is life there is soul; Wherever there is consciousness there is soul. Now what to speak of the modern science even in the west those to accept the existence of the soul their understanding is only human beings have soul. The animals, plants, trees do not have soul. Animals, trees, plants don’t have soul. So that shows that even those who accept the existence of soul they don’t have any clear understanding of what soul is whereas what we see Vedas are giving, Vedas are presenting very clear understanding not only different living entities have souls but there are six symptoms of life. Wherever there is life or wherever a soul is present in a body, there are six symptoms: birth, growth, change, reproduction, decay and death. Now take any living form: a tree, an insect or an animal or a bird or a reptile or a human being this principle applies.

Wherever there is a living entity, wherever there is a living body, wherever there is a living being, must have been born like we see a tree. A seed falls on the ground a seedling comes out, then it grows, growth; then it changes in autumn the leaves fall off in spring the new leaves come in summer flowers come on the tree. Then the flowers turn into fruits; the fruits- inside the fruit there are seeds and the seeds fall on the ground, another tree come out and then eventually the tree gradually starts to decay when the tree becomes old and then the tree eventually dies. Whether it’s an insect, whether there is a plant, whether there is an aquatic, whether there is a reptile, bird, or animal they all follow the same principle: birth, growth, change, reproduction, decay, death, six symptoms of life. And not only that, Vedas are giving us a very clear understanding different forms of life. How the living entities generate or are born in different ways? They have divided in four categories. One is svedajas, sveda, just as sweat comes from the body, the reproduction takes place from the body itself.

The lowest species of life the amoebas and so forth, how do they multiply? How do they multiply? In the body the nucleus divides and then it becomes another body. From the body itself like the sweat reproduction, svedaja; then udvijas, from ‘seeds’: the trees and plants, they generate from seeds. Then andajas, ‘eggs’: reptiles and birds and insects. Their reproduction takes place from eggs. Then jadayujas ‘embryos’ the animals and human beings they are born out of embryos. This is how scientific the Vedic informations are. In any sphere of the Vedic wisdom, we see it is absolutely scientific. Like if you go into the body, we see the Vedas through the Āyurveda is giving us information that although the body is made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether but out of these five three are very active in the human body.

What are those three elements? Those three elements are water, fire and air. This body is made practically of water. About three fourth of this body is water. Then there is fire. There is temperature in the body, so obviously there must be fire in the body. And what does the fire do? The fire digests the food. Fire of digestion: jatharagni. That fire is situated in jaṭhara, at the base of the stomach, base of the stomach and that is actually digesting the food. The food that we eat is digested by the fire. So, water, fire and air- we are breathing. It is very apparent symptom of this air in the body. And not only then that they give information about five types of air: prāṇa, āpana, samāna, vyāna and udāna. And these five airs are controlling all the activities in the body.

Prāṇa is holding the soul within the body. When the prāṇa leaves the body then the body dies. In Bengali we say or in Hindi also we say prāṇa tyāga koreche (Bengali) or prāṇa nikalgaya (Hindi). So prāṇa is holding the soul; the soul is trying to go out of the body but prāṇa is pulling it back. So, this is how prāṇa vāyu is holding the soul within the body. And finally, when the prāṇa says okay you can go, then the soul leaves the body. Āpana vāyu is taking care of all the excretions of the body, urination evacuation, sweating. They all are function or they all are controlled by āpana vāyu.

Then samāna vāyu: samāna vāyu, then vyāna vāyu, samāna vāyu I actually forgot what it does. Then vyāna vāyu actually controls the nervous system. The nerves are functioning through the vyāna and udāna. So, these five airs are controlling the body, controlling the activities of the body. This is how scientific these information are. So, when Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives the information about the universal structure, why shouldn’t we accept that it is absolutely scientific because everything that we have seen is scientific; because everything that we have seen that has been presented by the Vedas are scientific. If all the informations from the Vedas are scientific then why not these descriptions will not be scientific? Why should this be imaginary? And not only that the Vedas are giving- here there are descriptions of the bhū-maṇḍala, in this chapter there are descriptions of bhū-maṇḍala. Bhū-maṇḍala has seven islands and seven oceans. Each island is surrounded by an ocean. The central island is Jambūdvīpa where we are situated and it is surrounded by salt water ocean. This island is surrounded by salt water ocean. Beyond Jambūdvīpa there is another island called Plakṣadvīpa. That island is surrounded by sugar water ocean, ikṣu, sugarcane juice or sugar water.

Then beyond that is Salamali. That is surrounded by liquor, the ocean of liquor [laughter] like that is the description that this verse is giving. Sālmalīdvīpa is surrounded by liquor. Then there is an island called Kuśa. That is surrounded by ghee, clarified butter, ocean of ghee. So, each island is surrounded by different types of oceans. Those oceans are lavan, ikṣu, sura, sarpi, dugdha. Next one is surrounded by milk ocean. Then dadhi surrounded by ocean of yoghurt and finally the seventh island Puṣkaradvīpa is surrounded by pure water. So, seven islands in bhū-maṇḍala surrounded by seven oceans and those islands are: central island is Jambūdvīpa, then plakṣadvīpa, salamalidvipa, kuśadvīpa, I am sorry. Then Kuśa, then Kroncha, then Saak and then Puṣkara vey very clear understanding. Then this understanding doesn’t stop here. It goes above bhū-maṇḍala, bhu-oka is bhuvarloka. then beyond bhuvarloka is svarloka, svargaloka, the heavenly planets. Then beyond the heavenly planets is maharloka, where the saintly personalities, sages reside.

Then beyond that janaloka, more elevated sages live there. And at the time of annihilation and when the heat reaches all the way up to maharloka, then the residents of maharloka leave maharloka and go to janaloka. Then beyond janaloka is tapoloka where the four Kumāras reside with their associates and beyond tapoloka is satyaloka, the abode of Lord Brahmā. That is the topmost planet. [Jaya Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava Śrīmān Mahāprabhu ki jaya. Śrī Śrī Sakhi Vṛndā ki jaya. Śrī Śrī Prahlāda Narsinghadeva ki jaya. Śrī Śrī Pañcatattva ki jaya. Jagad guru Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya.] So not only they are giving the descriptions of the upper planetary systems, there are also lower planetary systems, subterranean heavenly planets. That’s how they have been described in the fifth canto. They are like heavenly planets, lower planetary system, sub-terranean they are underground. The sun’s light does not reach there; therefore, they are in darkness, but they are not in darkness they are lit up by the gems, jewels of the serpents.

There are huge snakes with huge jewels on the heads and those jewels actually lit up, light up those planets. And there are seven lower planetary systems. So, in this way we can see the Vedas are giving us such clear understanding of the universal structure and that is what Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted us to present in the Vedic Planetarium, the structure of the Universe according to the descriptions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, according to the descriptions of the Vedas. They may challenge, “Well! They don’t come in line with our visible perception.” How much can we depend upon our senses that are defective to begin with? We with our human eyes we are seeing in a certain way. The insects see things in another way. You know how does a bee see things? A bee sees everything as hexagonal, that’s why they make their honey combs all hexagonal. And how- We have to understand how insignificant we are? And like we can consider if we go and tell an ant what is happening in the human society, do you think the ant will be able to understand or the ant will believe?

Well! This is all fairy tales. Human beings they can't be anything like that because the ant sees things from a limited antish perceptive. In this respect Prabhupāda gave the example of a Dr. Frog. A Frog lives in a well, a small little well. Now when somebody comes and tells about ocean, a vast body of water, what is the frog’s response to that? Oh, is it twice big as this well, three times, four times, twenty times, thousand times as big as the well. Now from the perspective of the well the ocean cannot be understood. So similarly with our limited perspective we should not try to judge the inconceivable affairs that has been design by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and controlled by the demigods. With our limited perception we would not be able to understand. Therefore, the safest course of action is to accept whatever has been presented in the Vedas. That is what is expected. Just accept. If it is possible to understand intellectually, fine! But if it is beyond our sensual and intellectual premise, then we have to accept it. Well! it must to be true.

It is not possible for us to go to svargaloka or maharloka or janaloka or even this planet bhū-maṇḍala, this plane, I mean the descriptions are beyond our comprehension. We are simply limited by, surrounded by the tract of land called Jambūdvīpa surrounded by salt water ocean but beyond that there are six others of islands. So, it is important that we accept with simple faith. And main thing is it’s really not important. I heard that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakur mentioned, I didn’t read it, I heard it from one of Prabhupāda’s Godbrother who was very close to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Thakur, so he said that Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakur said that the fifth canto is a trap for the materialist not to go further. Because those who are too materially motivated, they will try to figure out everything in the fifth canto through their sense perception or intellectual means and they will get stuck and they will not be able to go beyond that. They will not be able to go to the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth canto and so forth. So, it’s a trap. So, if you are too materially motivated get stuck.

Spend your whole life trying to figure out what has been presented in the fifth canto. I mean whether it is right or wrong. But the safest course of action: go through this; accept it; our goal is not this universe; our goal is beyond the universe. So why should we be so concerned about the affairs of the universe, about the structure of universe. It has been presented, okay in course of time we will see as Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī presented in his Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta, in the second part of Bṛhad Bhagavadamrta, the journey of Gopa Kumar, a cow herd boy back to spiritual sky and yes, he went through different planetary systems. From earth planet he went to heavenly planets then maharloka, janaloka, tapaloka, satyaloka he even became Brahmā, he had the position of Brahmā and then he goes out of the universe and then he sees the seven layers of the universe, the different elements of the universe in the causal form the earth, water, fire, air, ether, intelligence, mind and false ego. And then finally the eighth layer is the layer of material nature and mother nature personified Mahāmāyā there worshipping the Mohinī Mūrti of the lord and there Māyādevī is testing the living entity, that why leave; stay here; enjoy with me; look what an inconceivable arrangement for enjoyment.

But what did Gopa Kumāra do? Offered obeisances saying please allow me, please bless me, so that I can go and reach the lotus feet of your brother because Krishna is the brother of Mahāmāyā and then she allows him to go and then he goes beyond that, brahmajyoti, beyond that Mahesadham, Vaikuṇṭha, Ayodhyā, Dvārakā, Vṛndāvana. So that is what really matters to us, how to go back to Godhead, not get stuck here to figure out whether the presentation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is right or wrong. Why should it be wrong? Why these saintly personalities, such exalted personalities would mislead us with wrong informations? They are our genuine well-wishers. They are naturally giving us the authentic informations for our own benefit. And this way we can see how wonderful the creation of the Lord is. Thank you all very much. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Gaur premānande Hari Hari bol. Any comment or Rāmāi Mahārāja, Anuttamā prabhu. Does anybody have any question? Yes, Jananivas prabhu.

Jananivas prabhu: Hare Krishna. So, to see we see the earth is a round sphere, is bhū-maṇḍala flat or as round….?

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Well according to this description the bhū-maṇḍala we can say different levels -how the structure of the planets are is not but this is the level. Like this is the level where bhū-maṇḍala is situated, then beyond that is bhūrloka, bhuvarloka then above that is svargaloka like the planets or things are they may be round, but the plane that they are existing is one plane. Like naturally we see all the luminaries are actually round, so that gives us a clear understanding that all the planets are round but the existence of those specific planets are on a specific plane. Thank you. Thank you Jananivas prabhu. Hare Krishna. Any other question? Yes.

Devotee: Hare Krishna. Is there any active interference by higher living entities in our perception of the universe? I was told just like we keep cows in a cow herd and we are the superior beings and they are the inferior beings so we keep cows in a chorale and they can't go beyond the fences.. So, like that I heard people say that the demigods or higher beings they only allow us to see not much like in a chorale or in a fence, is that true?

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yeah. Yeah. Yes sure. Yeah, because ultimately it is a matter of different levels of perception or perceptions that are limited. Like, our perceptions, like if we consider light, although the light has unlimited range, right, but our perception is only between violet and red, right? Although there is ultraviolet and infra-red but we don’t see but the cats can see that’s why they can see at night; the bats can see like what appears to be darkness is light for them. So, this is how different bodies have different perception limiting them to that dimensional view.

Devotee: The reason why I asked this question is because some, a lot of devotees say that we went to the moon but the thing is that we can't perceive what the moon really is even if we did sent a rocket there are devotees say like that.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Well, our take in that is they didn’t go to moon. They didn’t go to Moon. Like when they were actually- Prabhupāda was in London at that time and the TV was telecasting the moon landing and Prabhupāda was having a massage with his back towards the TV and when the devotees were talking about moon landing, Prabhupāda even without looking at it, he said that they never went to moon; they never went to moon. And today, not only today, I remember about fifteen years back a Gallup poll was taken in America asking how many of them believed in moon landing and about 33 percent replied that they don’t believe; they didn’t believe that they went to moon. So even in America a good number of people believe that they never went to moon. That’s another thing.

We don’t really want to delve into that and waste our time. We simply take it whether moon is closer or further, doesn’t really matter to us but since Bhāgavatam is saying that moon is further away we accept it, accept moon is further away. Since Bhāgavatam is saying that the moon has flame but it is cold flame; suns flame is hot but moon’s radiation is cold but it is luminous, so there must be light coming from moon. This is a luminous s planet. Like we see all the stars they are luminous so moon also must be luminous. Okay I will stop now. Thank you all very much. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Gaur premānande Hari Hari bol.