Shloka 1
Chapter 7: Dvīpa–Varṣa–Meru-varṇana
Description of the Dvīpa, Varṣas, and Mount Meru
[दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका ह श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ५६ ६ “लोक हैं।] न#फमशा रत (0) अमन न सप्तमो<ध्याय: उत्तर कुरु
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | meror athottaraṃ pārśvaṃ pūrvaṃ cācakṣva me sañjaya | nikhilena mahābuddhe mālyavantaṃ ca parvatam ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Sañjaya, o Mann von großer Einsicht, schildere mir vollständig, was nördlich des Berges Meru liegt, und ebenso seine östliche Region. Und berichte mir auch, ganz und gar, von dem Berge namens Mālyavān.“
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined inquiry: a ruler seeks a complete, orderly account from a trusted narrator. Ethically, it highlights the value of careful listening and comprehensive understanding before forming judgments.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra prompts Sañjaya to continue a detailed description of the world’s regions—specifically the northern and eastern areas of Mount Meru—and to explain the mountain Mālyavān, setting up a cosmographic/geographical passage within Bhīṣma Parva.