Mount Meru

ŚB 5.16.7

एषां मध्ये इलावृतं नामाभ्यन्तरवर्षं यस्य नाभ्यामवस्थित: सर्वत: सौवर्ण: कुलगिरिराजो मेरुर्द्वीपायामसमुन्नाह: कर्णिकाभूत: कुवलयकमलस्य मूर्धनि द्वात्रिंशत् सहस्रयोजनविततो मूले षोडशसहस्रं तावतान्तर्भूम्यां प्रविष्ट: ॥ ७ ॥

eṣāṁ madhye ilāvṛtaṁ nāmābhyantara-varṣaṁ yasya nābhyām avasthitaḥ sarvataḥ sauvarṇaḥ kula-giri-rājo merur dvīpāyāma-samunnāhaḥ karṇikā-bhūtaḥ kuvalaya-kamalasya mūrdhani dvā-triṁśat sahasra-yojana-vitato mūle ṣoḍaśa-sahasraṁ tāvat āntar-bhūmyāṁ praviṣṭaḥ.

Synonyms

eṣām — all these divisions of Jambūdvīpa; madhye — among; ilāvṛtam nāma — named Ilāvṛta-varṣa; abhyantara-varṣam — the inner division; yasya — of which; nābhyām — in the navel; avasthitaḥ — situated; sarvataḥ — entirely; sauvarṇaḥ — made of gold; kula-giri-rājaḥ — the most famous among famous mountains; meruḥ — Mount Meru; dvīpa-āyāma-samunnāhaḥ — whose height is the same measurement as the width of Jambūdvīpa; karṇikā-bhūtaḥ — existing as the pericarp; kuvalaya — of this planetary system; kamalasya — like a lotus flower; mūrdhani — on the top; dvā-triṁśat — thirty-two; sahasra — thousand; yojana — yojanas (eight miles each); vitataḥ — expanded; mūle — at the base; ṣoḍaśa-sahasram — sixteen thousand yojanas; tāvat — so much; āntaḥ-bhūmyām — within the earth; praviṣṭaḥ — entered.

Translation

Amidst these divisions, or varṣas, is the varṣa named Ilāvṛta, which is situated in the middle of the whorl of the lotus. Within Ilāvṛta-varṣa is Sumeru Mountain, which is made of gold. Sumeru Mountain is like the pericarp of the lotuslike Bhū-maṇḍala planetary system. The mountain’s height is the same as the width of Jambūdvīpa — or, in other words, 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles]. Of that, 16,000 yojanas [128,000 miles] are within the earth, and therefore the mountain’s height above the earth is 84,000 yojanas [672,000 miles]. The mountain’s width is 32,000 yojanas [256,000 miles] at its summit and 16,000 yojanas at its base.

Purport by MGDAS

The following verse explains that Bila-svarga - the Subterranean Paradises - are yojana-ayuta-antareṇa — with an interval of ten thousand yojanas. As mount Meru is 16,000 yojanas deep inside Jambudvipa i.e. Bhu-mandala (āntar-bhūmyāṁ praviṣṭaḥ - entered within the earth), it seems logical that the first interval of 10,000 yojanas starts there. Furthermore it is my understanding that between each svarga - paradise - there is a 10,000 yojana layer betweeen each of them. For more info on Mount Meru please visit The Dikpalas.

ŚB 5.24.7

उपवर्णितं भूमेर्यथासन्निवेशावस्थानमवनेरप्यधस्तात् सप्त भूविवरा एकैकशो योजनायुतान्तरेणायामविस्तारेणोपक्‍ल‍ृप्ता अतलं वितलं सुतलं तलातलं महातलं रसातलं पातालमिति ॥ ७ ॥

upavarṇitaṁ bhūmer yathā-sanniveśāvasthānam avaner apy adhastāt sapta bhū-vivarā ekaikaśo yojanāyutāntareṇāyāma-vistāreṇopakḷptā atalaṁ vitalaṁ sutalaṁ talātalaṁ mahātalaṁ rasātalaṁ pātālam iti.

Synonyms

upavarṇitam — stated previously; bhūmeḥ — of the planet earth; yathā-sanniveśa-avasthānam — according to the arrangement of the different places; avaneḥ — the earth; api — certainly; adhastāt — beneath; sapta — seven; bhū-vivarāḥ — other planets; eka-ekaśaḥ — in succession, up to the outer limit of the universe; yojana-ayuta-antareṇa — with an interval of ten thousand yojanas (eighty thousand miles); āyāma-vistāreṇa — by width and length; upakḷptāḥ — situated; atalam — named Atala; vitalam — Vitala; sutalam — Sutala; talātalam — Talātala; mahātalam — Mahātala; rasātalam — Rasātala; pātālam — Pātāla; iti — thus.

Translation

My dear King, beneath this earth are seven other planets, known as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala, Rasātala and Pātāla. I have already explained the situation of the planetary systems of earth. The width and length of the seven lower planetary systems are calculated to be exactly the same as those of earth.