Verse 2.23.290

Bengali text, Devanagari and Unicode transliteration of verse 2.23.290:

বৈকুন্ঠ-ঈশ্বর, প্রভু বিশ্বম্ভর, সব নবদ্বীপে নাচে শ্বেতদ্বীপ-নাম, নবদ্বীপ-গ্রাম, বেদে প্রকাশিব পাছে ॥ ২৯০ ॥

वैकुन्ठ-ईश्वर, प्रभु विश्वम्भर, सब नवद्वीपे नाचे श्वेतद्वीप-नाम, नवद्वीप-ग्राम, वेदे प्रकाशिब पाछे ॥ २९० ॥

vaikunṭha-īśvara, prabhu viśvambhara, saba navadvīpe nāce śvetadvīpa-nāma, navadvīpa-grāma, vede prakāśiba pāche || 290 ||

vaikuntha-isvara, prabhu visvambhara, saba navadvipe nace svetadvipa-nama, navadvipa-grama, vede prakasiba pache (290)

English translation:

(290) Lord Viśvambhara, the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, danced throughout Navadvīpa, which the Vedas will later reveal is nondifferent from Śvetadvīpa.

Commentary: Gauḍīya-bhāṣya by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura:

The phrase saba navadvīpe refers to all the areas of Navadvīpa—Antardvīpa, Sīmantadvīpa, Godrumadvīpa, Madhyadvīpa, Koladvīpa, Ṛtudvīpa, Jahnudvīpa, Modadruma-dvīpa, and Rudradvīpa.

Śrī Gaurasundara is not only the Lord of the universe, He is also the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. In other words, He is the Lord of both the material worlds and the transcendental abode of Vaikuṇṭha.

The word svetadvīpa is explained as follows: The conception that the site of Śrī Gaurasundara’s saṅkīrtana procession pastime is the abode of Navadvīpa, or Śvetadvīpa, is not understood through material knowledge but is understood through spiritual knowledge. The materialists

controlled by mundane conceptions cannot realize the svarūpa, or primary characteristics, of the dhāma. But when they actually understand the svarūpa of the dhāma, they realize that “Śrīdhāma” is not a place of enjoyment for living entities like animals, birds, and human beings.

The word veda means “four [In the villages of Bengal children are taught to count to ten as follows: One moon, two fortnights, three eyes [of Śiva], four Vedas, five arrows [of Cupid], six seasons, seven oceans, eight Vasus, nine planets, and ten directions.].” Śrī Navadvīpa is not a material abode. It is established in the pāñcarātrika catur-vyūha; in other words, Navadvīpa is established in the platform described by the Pañcarātras as pure goodness. This material world is one-fourth of the entire creation.

Since it does not have the same qualities as the three-fourths creation, it cannot be accepted as similar. The characteristics that are found in the Pañca-tattva are also found in the catur-vyūha. Moreover, if one understands the three puruṣa-avatāras of the transcendental realm situated in the different oceans, then one achieves knowledge of the catur-vyūha. By attaining knowledge of the science of the puruṣa- avatāras, one attains knowledge of Vaikuṇṭha, Goloka, and Śvetadvīpa. Realization that Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma is Śvetadvīpa has dawned on the living entities about 400 years, or 404 years, or 444 years after the appearance of the Supreme Lord.