Text
kṣārodekṣu-rasoda-suroda-ghṛtoda-kṣīroda-dadhi-maṇḍoda-śuddhodāḥ sapta jaladhayaḥ sapta dvīpa-parikhā ivābhyantara-dvīpa-samānā ekaikaśyena yathānupūrvaṁ saptasv api bahir dvīpeṣu pṛthak parita upakalpitās teṣu jambv-ādiṣu barhiṣmatī-patir anuvratānātmajān āgnīdhredhmajihva-yajñabāhu-hiraṇyareto-ghṛtapṛṣṭha-medhātithi-vītihotra-saṁjñān yathā-saṅkhyenaikaikasminn ekam evādhi-patiṁ vidadhe.
Synonyms
kṣāra—salt; uda—water; ikṣu-rasa—the liquid extract from sugarcane; uda—water; sura—liquor; uda—water; ghṛta—clarified butter; uda—water; kṣīra—milk; uda—water; dadhi-manda—emulsified yogurt; uda—water; śuddha-udāḥ—and drinking water; sapta—seven; jala-dhayaḥ—oceans; sapta—seven; dvipa—islands; parikhāḥ—trenches; iva—like; abhyantara—internal; dvipa—islands; samānāḥ—equal to; eka-ekaśyena—one after another; yathā-anupūrvam—in chronological order; saptasu—seven; api—although; bahiḥ—outside; dvīpeṣu—in islands; pṛthak—separate; paritah—all around; upakalpitah—situated; teṣu—within them; jambu-ādiṣu—beginning with Jambū; barhiṣmatī—of Barhiṣmatī; patiḥ—the husband; anuvratān—who were actually followers of the father’s principles; atma-jān—sons; āgnīdhra-idhmajihva-yajñabāhu-hiraṇyaretaḥ-ghṛtapṛṣṭha-medhātithi-vītihotra-saṁjñān—named Āgnīḍhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Medhātithi and Vītihotra; yathā-sankhyena—by the same number; eka-ekasmin—in each island; ekam—one; eva—certainly; adhi-patim—king; vidadhe—he made. ¶
Translation
The seven oceans respectively contain salt water, sugarcane juice, liquor, clarified butter, milk, emulsified yogurt, and sweet drinking water. All the islands are completely surrounded by these oceans, and each ocean is equal in breadth to the island it surrounds. Mahārāja Priyavrata, the husband of Queen Barhiṣmatī, gave sovereignty over these islands to his respective sons, namely Āgnīdhra, Idhmajihva, Yajñabāhu, Hiraṇyaretā, Ghṛtapṛṣṭha, Medhātithi and Vītihotra. Thus they all became kings by the order of their father. ¶
Purport
It is to be understood that all the dvīpas, or islands, are surrounded by different types of oceans, and it is said herein that the breadth of each ocean is the same as that of the island it surrounds. The length of the oceans, however, cannot equal the length of the islands. According to Vīrarāghava Ācārya, the breadth of the first island is 100,000 yojanas. One yojana equals eight miles, and therefore the breadth of the first island is calculated to be 800,000 miles. The water surrounding it must have the same breadth, but its length must be different. ¶