Shloka 12
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
येन लिड्लरेन यो देशो युक्त: समुपलक्ष्यते । तेनैव नाम्ना तं देशं वाच्यमाहुर्मनीषिण:,जिस चिह्नसे जो देश युक्त होता है और जिससे जिसकी पहचान होती है, विद्वानोंका कहना है कि उस देशका वही नाम रखना चाहिये
yena liṅgena yo deśo yuktaḥ samupalakṣyate | tenaiva nāmnā taṃ deśaṃ vācyam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||
The wise declare that a region should be called by the very name that arises from the distinguishing mark by which it is recognized. In other words, a land’s name ought to reflect the characteristic sign through which its identity is understood.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
A place-name should be grounded in a clear identifying feature (liṅga) by which the place is recognized; wise tradition recommends naming that reflects observable identity rather than arbitrary labels.
The text states a general principle used in traditional discourse: regions are identified by distinctive signs, and accordingly the learned prescribe that the region be called by a name derived from that sign.