Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 2
Chapter 7: Dvīpa–Varṣa–Meru-varṇana
Description of the Dvīpa, Varṣas, and Mount Meru
संजय उवाच दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य मेरो: पाश्वे तथोत्तरे । उत्तरा: कुरवो राजन् पुण्या: सिद्धनिषेविता:
sañjaya uvāca dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya meroḥ pārśve tathottare | uttarāḥ kuravo rājan puṇyāḥ siddhaniṣevitāḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O König, südlich des Nīla-Berges und ebenso am nördlichen Abhang des Berges Meru liegt das heilige Land namens Uttara-Kuru, eine geweihte Region, die von Siddhas, den Vollendeten, aufgesucht und bewohnt wird.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames certain regions as intrinsically sacred due to their association with siddhas (perfected beings), implying that holiness is tied to purity of place and the presence of realized ascetics—an ethical reminder that spiritual attainment sanctifies environments and guides human reverence.
Sañjaya is describing the mythic geography of the world, locating Uttara-Kuru relative to Nīla and Meru, and characterizing it as a holy realm inhabited by siddhas, as part of a broader cosmographical account within Bhīṣma Parva.