CHAPTER NINETEEN

A Description of the Island of Jambiadvipa
This chapter describes the glories of Bharata-varsa, and it also describes
how Lord Ramacandra is being worshiped in the tract of land known as
Kimpurusa-varsa. The inhabitants of Kimpurusa-varsa are fortunate
because they worship Lord Ramacandra with His faithful servant Hanu-
man. Lord Ramacandra exemplifies an incarnation of Godhead who de-
scends for the mission of paritrdndya sddhindm vindsdya ca
duskrtaém—protecting the devotees and destroying the miscreants. Lord
Ramacandra exhibits the actual purpose of an incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the devotees take the opportunity
to offer loving transcendental service to Him. One should surrender fully
to the Lord, forgetting one’s so-called material happiness, opulence and
education, which are not at all useful for pleasing the Lord. The Lord is
pleased only by the process of surrender unto Him.

When Devarsi Narada descended to instruct Sarvani Manu. he de-
scribed the opulence of Bharata-varsa, India. Sarvani Manu and the in-
habitants of Bharata-varsa engage in devotional service to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is the origin of creation, maintenance and
annihilation and who is always worshiped by self-realized souls. In the
planet known as Bharata-varsa there are many rivers and mountains, as
there are in other tracts of land, yet Bharata-varsa has special signifi-
cance because in this tract of land there exists the Vedic principle of var-
nasrama-dharma, which divides society into four varnas and four
asramas. Furthermore, Narada Muni’s opinion is that even if there is
some temporary disturbance in the execution of the varndsrama-dharma
principles, they can be revived at any moment. The effect of adhering to
the institution of varndsrama is gradual elevation to the spiritual plat-
form and liberation from material bondage. By following the principles
of varnasrama-dharma, one gets the opportunity to associate with devo-
tees. Such association gradually awakens one’s dormant propensity to
serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and frees one from all the
basic principles of sinful life. One then gets the opportunity to offer
unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord, Vasudeva. Because of

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