SB 4.6.23
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 23
- dadṛśus tatra te ramyām
- alakāṁ nāma vai purīm
- vanaṁ saugandhikaṁ cāpi
- yatra tan-nāma paṅkajam
SYNONYMS
dadṛśuḥ — saw; tatra — there (in Kailāsa); te — they (the demigods); ramyām — very attractive; alakām — Alakā; nāma — known as; vai — indeed; purīm — abode; vanam — forest; saugandhikam — Saugandhika; ca — and; api — even; yatra — in which place; tat-nāma — known by that name; paṅkajam — species of lotus flowers.
TRANSLATION
Thus the demigods saw the wonderfully beautiful region known as Alakā in the forest known as Saugandhika, which means "full of fragrance." The forest is known as Saugandhika because of its abundance of lotus flowers.
PURPORT
Sometimes Alakā is known as Alakā-purī, which is also the name of the abode of Kuvera. Kuvera's abode, however, cannot be seen from Kailāsa. Therefore the region of Alakā referred to here is different from the Alakā-purī of Kuvera. According to Vīrarāghava Ācārya, alakā means "uncommonly beautiful." In the region of Alakā the demigods saw, there is a type of lotus flower known as Saugandhika that distributes an especially fragrant scent.