Shloka 13
Description of Uttara-Kuru and the Meru-Flank Regions
Bhadrāśva, Sudarśana Jambū, Solar Attendants
उत्तराःकुरवो विप्रा व्याख्यातास्ते समासतः । मेरुपार्श्वमहं पूर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि यथातथम्
uttarāḥkuravo viprā vyākhyātāste samāsataḥ | merupārśvamahaṃ pūrvaṃ pravakṣyāmi yathātatham
O Brāhmaṇas, die Uttara-Kurus sind euch kurz dargelegt worden. Nun will ich zuerst die Gegend am Abhang des Berges Meru beschreiben, so wie sie wahrhaft ist.
Unspecified narrator (speaker not identifiable from this single verse alone)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: mountain
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उत्तराःकुरवो = उत्तराः + कुरवः. व्याख्यातास्ते = व्याख्याताः + ते. मेरुपार्श्वमहं = मेरुपार्श्वम् + अहम्. यथातथम् = यथा + तथम्.
FAQs
It signals a transition from describing Uttara-Kuru to a new topic: the cosmographical description of Mount Meru’s adjacent region, a hallmark of the Svarga-khaṇḍa’s sacred-geography material.
“Viprāḥ” refers to brāhmaṇas or learned sages; the verse frames the discourse as a teaching delivered to a learned audience.
“Yathātatham” emphasizes truthful, accurate exposition—valuing fidelity to reality/tradition in transmitting sacred knowledge rather than embellishment.