SB 5.16.7 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.16.7

एषां मध्ये इलावृतं नामाभ्यन्तरवर्षं यस्य नाभ्यामवस्थित: सर्वत: सौवर्ण: कुलगिरिराजो मेरुर्द्वीपायामसमुन्नाह: कर्णिकाभूत: कुवलयकमलस्य मूर्धनि द्वात्रिंशत् सहस्रयोजनविततो मूले षोडशसहस्रं तावतान्तर्भूम्यां प्रविष्ट: ॥ ७ ॥

eṣāṁ madhye ilāvṛtaṁ nāmābhyantara-varṣaṁ yasya nābhyām avasthitaḥ sarvataḥ sauvarṇaḥ kula-giri-rājo merur dvīpāyāma-samunnāhaḥ karṇikā-bhūtaḥ kuvalaya-kamalasya mūrdhani dvā-triṁśat sahasra-yojana-vitato mūle ṣoḍaśa-sahasraṁ tāvat āntar-bhūmyāṁ praviṣṭaḥ.

[eshaam madhye ilaavritam naamaabhyantara-varsham yasya naabhyaam avasthitah sarvatah sauvarnah kula-giri-raajo merur dveepaayaama-samunnaahah karnikaa-bhootah kuvalaya-kamalasya moordhani dvaa-trimshat sahasra-yojana-vitato moole shodasha-sahasram taavat aantar-bhoomyaam pravishtah.]

Word-for-word

eṣām — all these divisions of Jambūdvīpa madhye — among ilāvṛtam nāma — named Ilāvṛta-varṣa abhyantara-varṣam — the inner division yasya — of which nābhyām — in the navel avasthitaḥ — situated sarvataḥ — entirely sauvarṇaḥ — made of gold kula-giri-rājaḥ — the most famous among famous mountains meruḥ — Mount Meru dvīpa-āyāma-samunnāhaḥ — whose height is the same measurement as the width of Jambūdvīpa karṇikā-bhūtaḥ — existing as the pericarp kuvalaya — of this planetary system kamalasya — like a lotus flower mūrdhani — on the top dvā-triṁśat — thirty-two sahasra — thousand yojana — yojanas (eight miles each) vitataḥ — expanded mūle — at the base ṣoḍaśa-sahasram — sixteen thousand yojanas tāvat — so much āntaḥ-bhūmyām — within the earth praviṣṭaḥ — entered.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

eṣām

all these divisions of Jambūdvīpa

madhye

among

ilāvṛtam nāma

named Ilāvṛta-varṣa

abhyantara-varṣam

the inner division

yasya

of which

nābhyām

in the navel

avasthitaḥ

situated

sarvataḥ

entirely

sauvarṇaḥ

made of gold

kula-giri-rājaḥ

the most famous among famous mountains

meruḥ

Mount Meru

dvīpa-āyāma-samunnāhaḥ

whose height is the same measurement as the width of Jambūdvīpa

karṇikā-bhūtaḥ

existing as the pericarp

kuvalaya

of this planetary system

kamalasya

like a lotus flower

mūrdhani

on the top

dvā-triṁśat

thirty-two

sahasra

thousand

yojana

yojanas (eight miles each)

vitataḥ

expanded

mūle

at the base

ṣoḍaśa-sahasram

sixteen thousand yojanas

tāvat

so much

āntaḥ-bhūmyām

within the earth

praviṣṭaḥ

entered.

Amidst these divisions, or varṣas, is the varṣa named Ilāvṛta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the lotus. Within Ilāvṛta-varṣa is Sumeru Mountain, which is made of gold. Sumeru Mountain is like the pericarp of the lotuslike Bhū-maṇḍala planetary system. The mountain’s height is the same as the width of Jambūdvīpa — or, in other words, 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles]. Of that, 16,000 yojanas [128,000 miles] are within the earth, and therefore the mountain’s height above the earth is 84,000 yojanas [672,000 miles]. The mountain’s width is 32,000 yojanas [256,000 miles] at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its base.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

In the center of these is Ilāvṛta, in the center of which is Meru, the king of mountains, made of gold, whose height is the length of Jambūdvīpa, and which acts as the pericarp of the lotus. At its top it measures 32,000 yojanas and at the base 16,000 yojanas. It extends 16,000 yojanas within the earth. Nābhyām means inside. The island is 100,000 yojanas long. That is the height of the mountain. At the base it spreads out for 16,000 yojanas. Since it extends 16,000 yojanas within the earth, 84,000 yojanas of Meru are visible above the ground.

Personal Guidance

At the center of the world stands Sumeru, made of gold, anchoring the entire arrangement. Every life needs its own Sumeru — a central, immovable golden axis around which everything else organizes. What is yours?

Reflection Questions

What functions as the immovable golden center of your life right now — and is that the right one?
How could devotion to the Lord become more visibly the Sumeru around which all else orbits?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io