tato 'neka-sahasra-koṭi-vimānānīka-saṅkula-deva-yānenāvatar-antīndu maṇḍalam āvārya brahma-sadane nipatati.

|| 5.16.27 ||

jaṭhara-devakūṭau meruṁ pūrveṇāṣṭādaśa-yojana-sahasram udagāyatau dvi-sahasraṁ pṛthu-tuṅgau bhavataḥ; evam apareṇa pavana-pāriyātrau dakṣiṇena kailāsa-karavīrau prāg-āyatāv evam uttaratas triśṛṅga-makarāv aṣṭabhir etaiḥ parisṛto 'gnir iva paritaś cakāsti kāñcana-giriḥ.

On the eastern side of Sumeru Mountain are two mountains named Jaṭhara and Devakūṭa, which extend to the north and south for 18,000 yojanas. Similarly, on the western side of Sumeru are two mountains named Pavana and Pāriyātra, which also extend north and south for the same distance. On the southern side of Sumeru are two mountains named Kailāsa and Karavīra, which extend east and west for 18,000 yojanas, and on the northern side of Sumeru, extending for the same distance east and west, are two mountains named Triśṛṅga and Makara. The width and height of all these mountains is 2,000 yojanas. Sumeru, a mountain of solid gold, surrounded by these eight mountains, shines like fire.

|| 5.16.28 ||

meror mūrdhani bhagavata ātma-yoner madhyata upakÿptāṁ purīm ayuta-yojana-sāhasrīṁ sama-caturasrāṁ śātakaumbhīṁ vadanti.

In the middle of the summit of Meru is the township of Lord Brahmā. Each of its four sides is calculated to extend for many thousands of yojanas.[36] It is made entirely of gold, and therefore learned scholars and sages call it Śātakaumbhī.

|| 5.16.29 ||

tām anuparito loka-pālānām aṣṭānāṁ yathā-diśaṁ yathā-rūpaṁ turīya-mānena puro 'ṣṭāv upakÿptāḥ.

Surrounding Brahmapurī in all directions are the residences of the eight principal governors of the directions, beginning with King Indra. These abodes are similar to Brahmapurī but are one fourth the size.

These cities are in the directions starting from the east, each with their particular deities such as Indra and their corresponding colors. Their size is 2.5 million yojanas. Their names are understood from other Purāṇas:

merau nava-purāṇi syur manovaty amarāvatī

tejovatī saṁyamanī tathā kṛṣṇāṅganā parā

śraddhāvatī gandhavatī tathā cānyā mahodayā

yaśovatī ca brahmendra vahnyādīnāṁ yathā kramam

On Meru there are nine cities name Manovatī, Amarāvatī, Tejovatī, Saṁyamanī, Kṛṣṇāṅganā, Śraddhāvatī, Gandhavatī, Mahodayā, Yaśovatī, belonging to Brahmā, Indra, Agni and others.[37]

Thus ends the commentary on the Sixteenth Chapter of the Fifth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.

Chapter Seventeen

Descent of the Gaṅgā

|| 5.17.1 ||

śrī-śuka uvāca

tatra bhagavataḥ sākṣād yajña-liṅgasya viṣṇor vikramato vāma-pādāṅguṣṭha-nakha-nirbhinnordhvāṇḍa-kaṭāha-vivareṇāntaḥ-praviṣṭā yā bāhya-jala-dhārā tac-caraṇa-paṅkajāvanejanāruṇa-kiñjalkoparañjitākhila-jagad-agha-malāpahopasparśanāmalā sākṣād bhagavat-padīty anupalakṣita-vaco 'bhidhīyamānāti-mahatā kālena yuga-sahasropalakṣaṇena divo mūrdhany avatatāra yat tad viṣṇu-padam āhuḥ.

When the Lord appeared as Vāmana and stepped over the earth with his right foot, the water which entered from outside, by piercing the covering of the universe with the big toe of his left foot, tinted red from the color of Lord’s feet and the kuṁkuma coming from the water that washed his lotus feet, which purifies by its touch all sins of the world but remains pure, not known by any other name, was called Bhagavat-padī, “water coming from the foot of the Lord.” After a long time, a thousand yugas, the river descended to Dhruva-loka, which then became known as Viṣṇu-pada, the abode of Viṣṇu.

The Seventeenth Chapter describes the descent of Gaṅgā to earth, the happiness of Bhauma-svarga and the service of Saṅkarṣaṇa and Rudra. After describing the splendor of the mountains surrounding Sumeru like filaments, Śuka now describes the very long stream of the Gaṅgā, the crest jewel of all splendors, by relating how Gaṅgā made her appearance. At the time of Vāmana avatāra (tatra), by  stepping over the earth with his right foot (vikramataḥ) and from throwing his left foot in the air, he cause all places up to the top of the universe to tremble, up to the layer of prakṛti (where the guṇas are pacified), as related by Brahmā: trisāmyasadanād urukampayānam. (SB 2.7.4) Thus the spiritual steam of water of the Kāraṇa Ocean, outside of the eight layers of the universe, descended to Dhruva-loka (divaḥ mūrdhani). The water was colored red from the kuṁkuma and the red color of the Lord’s feet, arising from the water used to wash the Lord’s feet. The touch of this water destroys the contamination of sin, but the water remains free of contamination (amalā). It was called by the name Bhagavatpadī, because at that time it was not known by other names (vaco anupalakṣaṇam) such as Bhāgīrathī or Jāhnavī. It then fell on Dhruva-loka which (yat) became known as Viṣṇu-pada

|| 5.17.2 ||

yatra ha vāva vīra-vrata auttānapādiḥ parama-bhāgavato 'smat-kula-devatā-caraṇāravindodakam iti yām anusavanam utkṛṣyamāṇa-bhagavad-bhakti-yogena dṛḍhaṁ klidyamānāntar-hṛdaya autkaṇṭhya-vivaśāmīlita-locana-yugala-kuḍmala-vigalitāmala-bāṣpa-kalayābhivyajyamāna-roma-pulaka-kulako 'dhunāpi paramādareṇa śirasā bibharti.

On Dhruva-loka, Dhruva Mahārāja, the famous son of Mahārāja Uttānapāda, known as an exalted devotee of the Supreme Lord because of his firm determination in executing devotional service, whose heart is softened with bhakti-yoga increasing at every moment, whose hairs stand on end while tears flow uncontrolled from his closed eyes in great longing, with great respect even now holds on his head that water, thinking “This is the foot water from the deity of our family.”

On Dhruva-loka (yatra) Dhruva, with determined vow, his heart softened by bhakti-yoga becoming better at every moment, whose hairs stand on end while pure tears flow uncontrollably from his closed lotus eyes out of great longing, takes the water on his head.

|| 5.17.3 ||

tataḥ sapta ṛṣayas tat prabhāvābhijñā yāṁ nanu tapasa ātyantikī siddhir etāvatī bhagavati sarvātmani vāsudeve 'nuparata-bhakti-yoga-lābhenaivopekṣitānyārthātma-gatayo muktim ivāgatāṁ mumukṣava iva sabahu-mānam adyāpi jaṭā-jūṭair udvahanti.

The seven great sages, aware of the influence of the water of the Gaṅgā, ignoring all other goals because of their continuous bhakti-yoga to the all-pervading Supreme Lord Vāsudeva, thinking “‘This is the perfection of austerities,” to this day respectfully keep Ganges water in their matted locks, as much as persons desiring liberation respect liberation.

They think, “There is no greater perfection than this (etāvatī).” By having attained bhakti-yoga, they reject ātma-jñāna and other goals of human endeavor. This is Śrīdhara Svāmī’s explanation of upekṣitānyārthātma-gatayaḥ.

|| 5.17.4 ||