Although, in Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 26 Text 52 there is an apparent contradiction, it says that "water" is the first element. Other references say the seven layers of the Brahmanda begins with the earth element.
Srimad Bhagavatam - ''Every universe is covered by seven layers—earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego, each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta]." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37)
Srila Prabhupāda - "This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daśa-guṇottarair aṇḍa-kośaḥ).
1 - Earth,
2 - Water,
3 - Fire,
4 - Air,
5 - Sky,
6 - Total material energy or maha-tattva,
7 - False ego.
Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each universe is, and there are many millions of universes." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37 Purport)
Srila Prabhupāda - "As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā-
athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat.
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe." (BG, Ch 10 text 42 Purport )
The entire material world manifests is only one fourth of the Supreme Lord's energy. Therefore He is called ananta''.
Srila Prabhupada - "The extent of the cosmic phenomenon or our individual universe is calculated to be diametrically four billion miles in size. Then the outer covering known as the ''Brahmanda shell'' begins. The first covering of Earth is calculated to extend forty billion miles, (10 times the size of the inner universe) and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of water, fire, air, sky, total material energy, false ego one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous.
The fearless devotee of the Lord penetrates each one of them and ultimately reaches the absolute atmosphere where everything is of one and the same spiritual identity. Then the devotee enters one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where he assumes exactly the same form as the Lord and engages in the loving transcendental service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of devotional life. Beyond this there is nothing to be desired or achieved by the perfect yogī." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 2 Text 28 Purport)
Srimad Bhagavatam - "The first layer is of earth, and it is ten times greater in size than the space within the universe; the second layer is water, and that is ten times greater than the earthly layer; the third covering is fire, which is ten times greater than the water covering. In this way each layer is ten times greater than the previous one." (SB, Canto 3 Ch 29 Text 43)
Srimad Bhagavatam explains there are an unlimited number of individual Brahmanda universes coming from Maha-Visnu that make up the entire material creation (1/4 of the Spiritual Sky).
All smaller material universes inside their greater Brahmanda universe are of different sizes, some, like ours, are only 4 billion miles in diameter.
The 4 billion miles (500,000,000 yojanas) diameter of our material universe houses 14 planetary systems inside it and is considered a small universe when compared to other material universes deep inside their Brahmanda universal shell.
Our small single material universe inside our Brahmanda greater universe with its 14 planetary systems therefore, can be called Bhu-Mandala.
Sadaputa dasa ACBSP (Richard L. Thompson) earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Cornell University. He is the author of several books on Vedic Cosmology and explains what Bhu-Mandala is-
Sadaputa dasa - "In Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhu Mandala - the “earth mandala” (not to be confused with our small earth globe), is a disk 500 million yojanas in diameter. The yojana is a unit of distance about 8 miles long, so the diameter of Bhu-Mandala is about 4 billion miles which is the size of our single material universe found deep inside a secondary Brahmanda universe. Bhu-Mandala is marked by circular features designated as islands (Dvipas that can also mean planets) and oceans. Bhu-Mandala is far too big to be our small earth global sphere. Of course, Bhu-Mandala is earth centered, its innermost island, Jambudvipa, contains Bharata-varsha, which Srila Prabhupada has repeatedly identified as the planet earth." (Vedic Cosmology by Sadaputa dasa ACBSP (Richard L. Thompson Ph.D.)
Srila Prabhupada - "We have to imagine that these universes (Brahmandas), which according to our limited knowledge are expanded unlimitedly, are so great that the gross and subtle ingredients—the five elements of the cosmic manifestation, namely earth, water, fire, air and sky, along with the total material energy and false ego, are NOT only within the universe but cover the universe in seven layers, each layer ten times bigger than the previous one.
In this way, each and every universe is very securely packed, and there are numberless universes. All these universes float within the innumerable pores of the transcendental body of Mahā-Viṣṇu. It is stated that just as the atoms and particles of dust are floating within the air along with the birds and their number cannot be calculated, so innumerable universes are floating within the pores of the transcendental body of the Lord. For this reason, the Vedas say that God is beyond the grasp of our knowledge." (Krsna Book 87)
We cannot see from one material universe to another, this is because our individual secondary universe is surrounded and encased by the 7 material layers of the Brahmanda greater universe that are the outer layers surrounding the inner secondary material universe within it.
It is impossible to see the millions of other Brahmanda universes outside our inner secondary universe inside the massive Brahmanda because of those 7 vast material layers that only rare mystic yogis and advanced devotees like Arjuna can see and pass through. So, of course Krsna and Arjuna did not encounter such limitations that we experience with the combination of these elements earth, water, fire - all gross material elements as Bhagavad Gita explains.
Srila Prabhupada - "The Lord is not visible to the eyes of ordinary men, those who are beyond the covering layers because of their transcendental devotional service can still see Him." (Krsna Book 87)
We cannot see through the Brahmanda's 7 material layers that surrounds and encase our secondary smaller material universe within it Srila Prabhupada explains.
Srila Prabhupada - "Lord Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna crossed over the great region of darkness covering the material universes. Arjuna then saw the effulgence of light known as the brahmajyoti. The brahmajyoti is situated ''outside the covering of the material universes'', and because it cannot be seen with our present eyes, this brahmajyoti is sometimes called avyakta." (Krsna Book, 89)
Srila Prabhupada - "Each universe is covered by various layers of material elements (The 7 layers of the outer Brahmanda covering), and therefore although the universes are clustered together, we CANNOT see from one universe to another. In other words, whatever we see is within this one universe. In each universe there is one Lord Brahmā, and there are other demigods on other planets, but there is only one sun." (SB, Canto 5 Ch 21 Text 11, Purport)
Srila Prabhupada - "Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī confirms that a part of the material nature, after being initiated by the Lord, is known as the mahat-tattva. A fractional portion of the mahat-tattva is called the false ego. A portion of the ego is the vibration of sound, and a portion of sound is atmospheric air. A portion of the airy atmosphere is turned into forms, and the forms constitute the power of electricity or heat.
Heat produces the smell of the aroma of the earth, and the gross earth is produced by such aroma. And all these combined together constitute the cosmic phenomenon. The extent of the cosmic phenomenon or our individual universe is calculated to be diametrically four billion miles in size. Then the outer covering known as the Brahmanda shell begins.
The first covering of earth is calculated to extend forty billion miles, (10 times the size of the inner universe) and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of water, fire, air, sky, total material energy, false ego one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous.
The fearless devotee of the Lord penetrates each one of them and ultimately reaches the absolute atmosphere where everything is of one and the same spiritual identity. Then the devotee enters one of the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where he assumes exactly the same form as the Lord and engages in the loving transcendental service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of devotional life. Beyond this there is nothing to be desired or achieved by the perfect yogī." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 2 Text 28)
Srimad Bhagavatam - "Every universe (that is deep within the massive surrounding Brahmanda universe that comes from the Body of Maha-Visnu ) is covered by seven layers-
earth,
water,
fire,
air,
sky,
the total energy,
false ego.
Each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta]." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37)
Srila Prabhupada - "The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.48) says-
yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
The origin of the material creation is Mahā-Viṣṇu, who lies in the Causal Ocean. While He sleeps in that ocean, millions of universes are generated as He exhales, and they are all annihilated when He inhales. This Mahā-Viṣṇu is a plenary portion of a portion of Viṣṇu, Govinda (yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ).
The word kalā refers to a plenary portion of a plenary portion.
From Kṛṣṇa, or Govinda, comes Balarāma; from Balarāma comes Saṅkarṣaṇa; from Saṅkarṣaṇa, Nārāyaṇa; from Nārāyaṇa, the second Saṅkarṣaṇa; from the second Saṅkarṣaṇa, Mahā-Viṣṇu; from Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu; and from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu controls every universe.
This gives an idea of the meaning of ananta, unlimited. What is to be said of the unlimited potency and existence of the Lord? This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daśa guṇottarair aṇḍa-kośaḥ).
The first covering is earth, the second is water, the third is fire, the fourth is air, the fifth is sky, the sixth is the total material energy, and the seventh is the false ego.
Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each universe is, and there are many millions of material universes.
As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gītā (10.42)-
athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."
The entire material world manifests only one fourth of the Supreme Lord’s energy. Therefore He is called ananta." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 16 Text 37 Purport)
There are seemingly contradictions in the 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, for example in some passages it says the first layer is earth and in aother places it says the first layer is water.
The names of the material layers within the surrounding Brahmanda that encases universe within it built by Lord Brahma sometimes change, for example, the maha tattva is a layer in one purport that also means "total material energy" and "ether also means sky."
Srimad Bhagavatam's 5th Canto explains there are 7 material layers (elements) that make up our outer layers of the Brahmanda that encases and surrounds our single inner material universe that is deep within the Brahmanda, 8 layers including our 4 billion miles diameter secondary material universe within our greater massive Brahmanda.
The diameter of our secondary material universe inside the Brahmanda is 500,000,000 yojanas or 4 billion miles, and the circumference of the secondary material universe is 12.6 billion miles where the 14 planetary systems are also found.
Srila Prabhupada - "The extent of the cosmic phenomenon or our individual universe is calculated to be diametrically four billion miles in size. Then the outer covering known as the Brahmanda shell begins. The first covering of Earth is calculated to extend forty billion miles, (10 times the size of the inner universe) and the subsequent coverings of the universe are respectively of water, fire, air, sky, total material energy, false ego one after another, each extending ten times further than the previous" (SB, Canto 2 Ch 2 Text 28 Purport)*
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