SB 5.21.7 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.21.7

एवं नव कोटय एकपञ्चाशल्लक्षाणि योजनानां मानसोत्तरगिरिपरिवर्तनस्योपदिशन्ति तस्मिन्नैन्द्रीं पुरीं पूर्वस्मान्मेरोर्देवधानीं नाम दक्षिणतो याम्यां संयमनीं नाम पश्चाद्वारुणीं निम्‍लोचनीं नाम उत्तरत: सौम्यां विभावरीं नाम तासूदयमध्याह्नास्तमयनिशीथानीति भूतानां प्रवृत्तिनिवृत्तिनिमित्तानि समयविशेषेण मेरोश्चतुर्दिशम् ॥ ७ ॥

evaṁ nava koṭaya eka-pañcāśal-lakṣāṇi yojanānāṁ mānasottara-giri-parivartanasyopadiśanti tasminn aindrīṁ purīṁ pūrvasmān meror devadhānīṁ nāma dakṣiṇato yāmyāṁ saṁyamanīṁ nāma paścād vāruṇīṁ nimlocanīṁ nāma uttarataḥ saumyāṁ vibhāvarīṁ nāma tāsūdaya-madhyāhnāstamaya-niśīthānīti bhūtānāṁ pravṛtti-nivṛtti-nimittāni samaya-viśeṣeṇa meroś catur-diśam.

[evam nava kotaya eka-panchaashal-lakshaani yojanaanaam maanasottara-giri-parivartanasyopadishanti tasminn aindreem pureem poorvasmaan meror devadhaaneem naama dakshinato yaamyaam samyamaneem naama pashchaad vaaruneem nimlochaneem naama uttaratah saumyaam vibhaavareem naama taasoodaya-madhyaahnaastamaya-nisheethaaneeti bhootaanaam pravritti-nivritti-nimittaani samaya-visheshena merosh chatur-disham.]

Word-for-word

evam — thus nava — nine koṭayaḥ — ten millions eka-pañcāśat — fifty-one lakṣāṇi — hundred thousands yojanānām — of the yojanas mānasottara-giri — of the mountain known as Mānasottara parivartanasya — of the circumambulation upadiśanti — they (learned scholars) teach tasmin — on that (Mānasottara Mountain) aindrīm — of King Indra purīm — the city pūrvasmāt — on the eastern side meroḥ — of Sumeru Mountain devadhānīm — Devadhānī nāma — of the name dakṣiṇataḥ — on the southern side yāmyām — of Yamarāja saṁyamanīm — Saṁyamanī nāma — named paścāt — on the western side vāruṇīm — of Varuṇa nimlocanīm — Nimlocanī nāma — named uttarataḥ — on the northern side saumyām — of the moon vibhāvarīm — Vibhāvarī nāma — named tāsu — in all of them udaya — rising madhyāhna — midday astamaya — sunset niśīthāni — midnight iti — thus bhūtānām — of the living entities pravṛtti — of activity nivṛtti — and cessation of activity nimittāni — the causes samaya-viśeṣeṇa — by the particular times meroḥ — of Sumeru Mountain catuḥ-diśam — the four sides.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

evam

thus

nava

nine

koṭayaḥ

ten millions

eka-pañcāśat

fifty-one

lakṣāṇi

hundred thousands

yojanānām

of the yojanas

mānasottara-giri

of the mountain known as Mānasottara

parivartanasya

of the circumambulation

upadiśanti

they (learned scholars) teach

tasmin

on that (Mānasottara Mountain)

aindrīm

of King Indra

purīm

the city

pūrvasmāt

on the eastern side

meroḥ

of Sumeru Mountain

devadhānīm

Devadhānī

nāma

of the name

dakṣiṇataḥ

on the southern side

yāmyām

of Yamarāja

saṁyamanīm

Saṁyamanī

nāma

named

paścāt

on the western side

vāruṇīm

of Varuṇa

nimlocanīm

Nimlocanī

nāma

named

uttarataḥ

on the northern side

saumyām

of the moon

vibhāvarīm

Vibhāvarī

nāma

named

tāsu

in all of them

udaya

rising

madhyāhna

midday

astamaya

sunset

niśīthāni

midnight

iti

thus

bhūtānām

of the living entities

pravṛtti

of activity

nivṛtti

and cessation of activity

nimittāni

the causes

samaya-viśeṣeṇa

by the particular times

meroḥ

of Sumeru Mountain

catuḥ-diśam

the four sides.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued; My dear King, as stated before, the learned say that the sun travels over all sides of Mānasottara Mountain in a circle whose length is 95,100,000 yojanas [760,800,000 miles]. On Mānasottara Mountain, due east of Mount Sumeru, is a place known as Devadhānī, possessed by King Indra. Similarly, in the south is a place known as Saṁyamanī, possessed by Yamarāja, in the west is a place known as Nimlocanī, possessed by Varuṇa, and in the north is a place named Vibhāvarī, possessed by the moon-god. Sunrise, midday, sunset and midnight occur in all those places according to specific times, thus engaging all living entities in their various occupational duties and also making them cease such duties.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

The wise teach about the city called Devadhānī, east of Mount Sumeru, possessed by King Indra; a place known as Saṁyamanī, possessed by Yamarāja, to the south of Meru; a place known as Nimlocanī, possessed by Varuṇa, to the west of Meru; and a place named Vibhāvarī, possessed by the moon-go to the north of Meru—which are on the path of the suns revolution on Mānasottara Mount whose circumference is 95,100,000 yojanas. They teach about the sunrise, noon and sunset and midnight in these cities for the purpose of engaging and disengaging people in work according to particular times. They teach about the four directions of Meru. The circular path is 95,100,000 yojanas The distance from Meru to Mānasottara in both directions (diameter of Mānasottara) 31,500,000 yojanas. [Note: The distance from Meru to the middle of Mānasottara was calculated to be 15,750,000 yojanas in the commentary on SB 5.20.35. ] The path of the sun’s chariot is 200,000 yojanas wide. Thus the total is 31,700,000 yojanas. Multiplying by three [Note: This is an approximation of pi =3.1416. Circumference = pi x diameter.] one gets 95,100,000 as the circumference. Experts teach about the city of Indra, east of Meru, on the circumference of Mānasottara Mountain measuring 95,100,000 yojanas in circumference. They teach about the sunrise, noon and sunset in these cities, being in the four directions from Meru. This means the following. Those who reside to the south of Meru (perceive sunrise, and consequently other directions) starting from the east (or eastern city of Indra), those residing in the west perceive sunrise (and the eastern direction) starting from the south, those in the north perceive sunrise starting from the west, and those residing to the east of Meru perceive sunrise starting from the north. It is stated in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that sarveṣāṁ dvīpavarṣāṇāṁ meruruttarataḥ sthitaḥ: all the inhabitants have Meru in the north (relatively speaking). [Note: This statement will make some people infer that Meru is the North Pole.]

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Personal Guidance

The sun's circuit creates sunrise here while it is midnight there. The same moment is different for different people. Your night may be someone else's morning. Hold lightly the universality of your own perspective.

Reflection Questions

Where am I assuming everyone is experiencing the same season I am?
How would my compassion grow if I remembered another person may be in a completely different 'time' than me?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io