क्षारसीधुघृतक्षौद्र दधिक्षीरामृतोदकाः ॥१७॥
ratnÄkarÄÅ› ca ratnaughÄá¹s
tat-patnyaś cohur ūrmibhiḥ
ká¹£Ära-sÄ«dhu-ghá¹›ta-ká¹£audra-
dadhi-kṣīrÄmá¹›todakÄḥ
ratnÄkarÄḥ - the seas and oceans; ca - and; ratna-oghÄn - various kinds of gems and valuable stones; tat-patnyaḥ - the wives of the oceans and seas, namely the rivers; ca - also; Å«huḥ - carried; Å«rmibhiḥ - by their waves; ká¹£Ära - the salt ocean; sÄ«dhu - the ocean of wine; ghá¹›ta - the ocean of clarified butter; ká¹£audra - the ocean of sugarcane juice; dadhi - the ocean of yogurt; kṣīra - the ocean of milk; amá¹›ta - and the very sweet ocean; udakÄḥ - water.
By the flowing of their waves, the various oceans of the universe, along with their tributaries, the rivers, which are compared to their wives, supplied various kinds of gems and jewels for Hiraṇyakaśipu’s use. These oceans were the oceans of salt water, sugarcane juice, wine, clarified butter, milk, yogurt, and sweet water.
The water of the seas and oceans of this planet, of which we have experience, are salty, but other planets within the universe contain oceans of sugarcane juice, liquor, ghee, milk and sweet water. The rivers are figuratively described as wives of the oceans and seas because they glide down to the oceans and seas as tributaries, like the wives attached to their husbands. Modern scientists attempt excursions to other planets, but they have no information of how many different types of oceans and seas there are within the universe. According to their experience, the moon is full of dust, but this does not explain how it gives us soothing rays from a distance of millions of miles. As far as we are concerned, we follow the authority of VyÄsadeva and Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ«, who have described the universal situation according to the Vedic literature. These authorities differ from modern scientists who conclude from their imperfect sensual experience that only this planet is inhabited by living beings whereas the other planets are all vacant or full of dust.
