॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Saturday, 17 December 2022 V.20 - An elaborate description of different regions described as Lokas and its citizens and the way they worship Bhagavan Maha Vishnu.
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This is a complex world view of Srimad Bhagavatam. The earth is circular and created as concentric regions with different attributes and intermediate oceans of different types. I have copied this from the translation of Swami Tapasyanandaji.
I have not tried to summarise all the details as I think our modern mind is aligned to the modern post-Megallan geography and we will be hard put to reconcile our ideas with those descriptions, The key takeaway is that the people of those regions worship the Bhagavan.
As a sample I have scanned as OCR the paragraph from Swamiji's translation of one region below.
OCR
Sri Suka said:
34. Beyond that ocean of fresh water is the famous mountain Lokäloka, which stands as an encircling wall between the regions having sunlight and those without it.
35. There is between Lokäloka and the freshwater sea a land equal in extent to the distance between the Mänasottara mountain (forming the outer ring of the Dweepas) and the Meru (the centre). Beyond that is another region, golden and shining like a mirror. Nothing put in it can return, as it will get dissolved. So it is without any living being.
36. As the mountain stands between Loka (seen worlds) and Aloka (worlds that cannot be seen), it gained the name of Lokāloka.
37. This Lokāloka is the boundary mountain placed by the Creator beyond and around as the limit of the three worlds. These three worlds are lighted by the sun's rays. Neither the light of the sun nor that of any luminary up to Dhruva (the pole Star) can go beyond the top of this mountain. It is so high and extensive.
38. This much is the conclusion of wise men about the earth-its disposition, size, characteristics, position, etc. Fifty crores of Yojana is the extent of the earth. The Lokaloka mountain is a fourth of it., i. e. Twelve and a half crores of Yojanas.
39. The Self-born one, the Lord and master of all, has for the stability of the universe placed on the four sides of the Lokāloka mountain four elephants known as the Elephants of the Quarters. They are Rishabha, Pushkarachūda, Vāmana and Aparājita.
40. For encouraging and imparting power to these, and to the guardian lords of the worlds (Lokapalas), who are His glories, the Supreme Lord-the indweller of all and the source and spring of all majesties and powers-reveals all over that mountain His one divine form of Suddhasattva, endowed with excellences like virtue, knowledge, dispassion, lordliness, the eight-fold powers etc., as also with many arms holding a conch, discus, etc. and surrounded by his followers like Vishvaksena. It is only of Suddhasattva, endowed with excellences like virtue, knowledge, dispassion, lordliness, the eight-fold powers etc., as also with many arms holding the conch, discus, etc. and surrounded by his followers like Vishvaksena.
41. It is only by way of sport, for the protection of the worlds and the Jivas inhabiting them, that He has assumed this form with the mysterious power of His Yogamaya.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
