SB 5.16.22
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 22
yas tu mahā-kadambaḥ supārśva-nirūḍho yās tasya koṭarebhyo viniḥsṛtāḥ pañcāyāma-pariṇāhāḥ pañca madhu-dhārāḥ supārśva-śikharāt patantyo 'pareṇātmānam ilāvṛtam anumodayanti.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ—which; tu—but; mahā-kadambaḥ—the tree named Mahākadamba; supārśva-nirūḍhaḥ—which stands on the side of the mountain known as Supārśva; yāḥ—which; tasya—of that; koṭarebhyaḥ—from the hollows; viniḥsṛtāḥ—flowing; pañca—five; āyāma—vyāma, a unit of measurement of about eight feet; pariṇāhāḥ—whose measurement; pañca—five; madhu-dhārāḥ—flows of honey; supārśva-śikharāt—from the top of Supārśva Mountain; patantyaḥ—flowing down; apareṇa—on the western side of Sumeru Mountain; ātmānam—the whole of; ilāvṛtam—Ilāvṛta-varṣa; anumodayanti—make fragrant.
TRANSLATION
On the side of Supārśva Mountain stands a big tree called Mahākadamba, which is very celebrated. From the hollows of this tree flow five rivers of honey, each about five vyāmas wide. This flowing honey falls incessantly from the top of Supārśva Mountain and flows all around Ilāvṛta-varṣa, beginning from the western side. Thus the whole land is saturated with the pleasing fragrance.
PURPORT
The distance between one hand and another when one spreads both his arms is called a vyāma. This comes to about eight feet. Thus each of the rivers was about forty feet wide, making a total of about two hundred feet.