PURPORT

PURPORT
The seven islands are mentioned in the Siddhanta-siromani:
 
bhumer ardham ksira-sindhor udaka-stham
jambu-dvipam prahur acarya-varyah
ardhe 'nyasmin dvipa-satkasya yamye
ksara-ksirady-ambudhinam nivesah
sakam tatah salmala-matra kausam
krauncam ca go-medaka-puskare ca
dvayor dvayor antaram ekam ekam
samudrayor dvipam udaharanti
The seven islands (dvipas) are known as (1) Jambu, (2) Saka, (3) Salmali, (4) Kusa, (5) Kraunca, (6) Gomeda, or Plaksa, and (7) Puskara. The planets are called dvipa. Outer space is like an ocean of air. Just as there are islands in the watery ocean, these planets in the ocean of space are called dvipas, or islands in outer space. There are nine khandas, known as (1) Bharata, (2) Kinnara, (3) Hari, (4) Kuru, (5) Hiranmaya, (6) Ramyaka, (7) Ilavrta, (8) Bhadrasva and (9) Ketumala. These are different parts of the Jambudvipa. A valley between two mountains is called a khanda or varsa.