Text 29]
A Description of Jambūdvīpa
117
width and height of all these mountains is 2,000 yojanas [16,000 miles]. Sumeru, a mountain of solid gold shining as brilliantly as fire, is surrounded by these eight mountains.
TEXT 28
मेरोर्मूर्धनि भगवत आत्मयोनेर्मध्यत उपकल्प्तां पुरीमयुतयोजनसाहस्रीं समचतुरस्रां शातक्रौम्भीं वदन्ति ॥ २८ ॥
meror mūrdhani bhagavata ātma-yoner madhyata upaklptām purīm ayuta-yojana-sāhasrīm sama-caturasrām śātakaumbhīm vadanti.
meroḥ —of Sumeru Mountain;  mūrdhani —on the head;  bhagavataḥ —of the most powerful being;  ātma-yoneḥ —of Lord Brahmā;  madhyataḥ —in the middle;  upaklptām —situated;  purīm —the great township;  ayuta-yojana —ten thousand  yojanas ;  sāhasrīm —one thousand;  sama-caturasrām —of the same length on all sides;  śāta-kaumbhīm —made entirely of gold;  vadanti —the great learned sages say.
TRANSLATION
In the middle of the summit of Meru is the township of Lord Brahmā. Each of its four sides is calculated to extend for ten million yojanas [eighty million miles]. It is made entirely of gold, and therefore learned scholars and sages call it Śātakaumbhī.
TEXT 29
तामनुपरितो लोकपालानामष्टानां यथादिशं यथारूपं तुरीयमानेन पुरोऽष्टा- त्रुपकल्प्ताः ॥ २९ ॥
tām anuparito loka-pālānām aṣṭānām yathā-diśam yathā-rūpam turīya-mānena puro 'ṣṭāv upaklptāḥ.
tām —that great township named Brahmapurī;  anuparitaḥ —sur-rounding;  loka-pālānām —of the governors of the planets;  aṣṭānām —eight;  yathā-diśam —according to the directions;  yathā-rūpam —in