FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.29-30

श्रीशुक उवाच जम्बूद्वीपस्य च राजन्नुपद्वीपानष्टौ हैक उपदिशन्ति सगरात्मजैरश्‍वान्वेषण इमां महीं परितो निखनद्भ‍िरुपकल्पितान् ॥ २९ ॥ तद्यथा स्वर्णप्रस्थश्चन्द्रशुक्ल आवर्तनो रमणको मन्दरहरिण: पाञ्चजन्य: सिंहलो लङ्केति ॥ ३० ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
jambūdvīpasya ca rājann upadvīpān aṣṭau haika upadiśanti sagarātmajair aśvānveṣaṇa imāṁ mahīṁ parito nikhanadbhir upakalpitān; tad yathā svarṇaprasthaś candraśukla āvartano ramaṇako mandarahariṇaḥ pāñcajanyaḥ siṁhalo laṅketi.
[jamboodveepasya cha raajann upadveepaan ashtau haika upadishanti sagaraatmajair ashvaanveshana imaam maheem parito nikhanadbhir upakalpitaan; tad yathaa svarnaprasthash chandrashukla aavartano ramanako mandaraharinah paanchajanyah simhalo lanketi.]
Word-for-word
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak jambūdvīpasya — of the island known as Jambūdvīpa ca — also rājan — O King upadvīpān aṣṭau — eight subordinate islands ha — certainly eke — some upadiśanti — learned scholars describe sagara-ātma-jaiḥ — by the sons of Mahārāja Sagara aśva-anveṣaṇe — while trying to find their lost horse imām — this mahīm — tract of land paritaḥ — all around nikhanadbhiḥ — digging upakalpitān — created tat — that yathā — as follows svarṇa-prasthaḥ — Svarṇaprastha candra-śuklaḥ — Candraśukla āvartanaḥ — Āvartana ramaṇakaḥ — Ramaṇaka mandara-hariṇaḥ — Mandara-hariṇa pāñcajanyaḥ — Pāñcajanya siṁhalaḥ — Siṁhala laṅkā — Laṅkā iti — thus.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak
jambūdvīpasya ca rājann upadvīpān aṣṭau haika upadiśanti sagarātmajair aśvānveṣaṇa imāṁ mahīṁ parito nikhanadbhir upakalpitān; tad yathā svarṇaprasthaś candraśukla āvartano ramaṇako mandarahariṇaḥ pāñcajanyaḥ siṁhalo laṅketi.
jambūdvīpasya
of the island known as Jambūdvīpa
ca
also
rājan
O King
upadvīpān aṣṭau
eight subordinate islands
ha
certainly
eke
some
upadiśanti
learned scholars describe
sagara-ātma-jaiḥ
by the sons of Mahārāja Sagara
aśva-anveṣaṇe
while trying to find their lost horse
imām
this
mahīm
tract of land
paritaḥ
all around
nikhanadbhiḥ
digging
upakalpitān
created
tat
that
yathā
as follows
svarṇa-prasthaḥ
Svarṇaprastha
candra-śuklaḥ
Candraśukla
āvartanaḥ
Āvartana
ramaṇakaḥ
Ramaṇaka
mandara-hariṇaḥ
Mandara-hariṇa
pāñcajanyaḥ
Pāñcajanya
siṁhalaḥ
Siṁhala
laṅkā
Laṅkā
iti
thus.
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, in the opinion of some learned scholars, eight smaller islands surround Jambūdvīpa. When the sons of Mahārāja Sagara were searching all over the world for their lost horse, they dug up the earth, and in this way eight adjoining islands came into existence. The names of these islands are Svarṇaprastha, Candraśukla, Āvartana, Ramaṇaka, Mandara-hariṇa, Pāñcajanya, Siṁhala and Laṅkā.
Purport

In the Kūrma Purāṇa there is this statement about the desires of the demigods:

anadhikāriṇo devāḥ svarga-sthā bhāratodbhavam vāñchanty ātma-vimokṣārtha- mudrekārthe ’dhikāriṇaḥ

Although the demigods are situated in exalted positions in the heavenly planets, they nevertheless desire to descend to the land of Bhārata-varṣa on the planet earth. This indicates that even the demigods are unfit to reside in Bhārata-varṣa. Therefore if persons already born in Bhārata-varṣa live like cats and dogs, not taking full advantage of their birth in this land, they are certainly unfortunate.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King! In the opinion of some learned scholars, eight smaller islands surround Jambūdvīpa. When the sons of Mahārāja Sagara were searching all over the world for their lost horse, they created eight islands by digging the earth. The names of these islands are Svarṇaprastha, Candraśukla, Āvartana, Ramaṇaka, Mandara-hariṇa, Pāñcajanya, Siṁhala and Laṅkā.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The story of sons digging up the earth in search of a lost horse shows how a search can leave permanent marks on the landscape. Be careful what you go searching for — your pursuits will reshape the world you leave behind. Search wisely.
Reflection Questions
  • What am I currently 'digging up' my life to find, and is it worth the marks it will leave?
  • If my pursuits will outlive me as landscape, what landscape do I want to leave?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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