Shloka 6

Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana

Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa

Devanagari script

कुशस्तम्ब: कुशद्वीपे मध्ये जनपदै: सह । सम्पूज्यते शाल्मलिश्न द्वीपे शाल्मलिके नूप,नरेश्वर! कुशद्वीपमें कुशोंका एक बहुत बड़ा झाड़ है, जिसकी वहाँके जनपदोंमें रहनेवाले लोग पूजा करते हैं। उसी प्रकार शाल्मलिद्वीपमें शाल्मलि (सेंमर) वृक्षकी पूजा की जाती है

Transliteration

kuśastambaḥ kuśadvīpe madhye janapadaiḥ saha | sampūjyate śālmalidvīpe śālmalī ca nṛpa-nareśvara ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Inmitten von Kuśadvīpa steht ein gewaltiger Horst Kuśa-Gras, Kuśastamba genannt, und die Bewohner seiner Landstriche verehren ihn. Ebenso, o König unter Königen, wird in Śālmalidvīpa der Śālmalī-Baum (Seidenwollbaum/Kapok) verehrt.

Word by Word

कुशस्तम्बःthe clump/mass of kuśa-grass

कुशद्वीपेin Kuśadvīpa

मध्येin the middle

जनपदैःby the peoples/communities

सहtogether with

सम्पूज्यतेis worshipped

शाल्मलिद्वीपेin Śālmalidvīpa

शाल्मलिकःthe śālmali-tree (silk-cotton tree), śālmali-related

नृपO king

नरेश्वरO lord of men

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kuśadvīpa

Śālmalidvīpa

kuśa-grass (kuśastamba)

śālmalī tree

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that reverence can be expressed through locally sacred natural symbols; different regions uphold dharmic devotion in forms suited to their own land and tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes sacred features of distant dvīpas: in Kuśadvīpa people worship a great kuśa-grass thicket, and in Śālmalidvīpa they worship the śālmalī tree, addressing the king respectfully.