Shloka 22
Yuga-Lakṣaṇa and Varṣa-Pramāṇa Inquiry (युगलक्षण–वर्षप्रमाण–प्रश्न)
श्यामो यस्मात् प्रवृत्तो वै तत् ते वक्ष्यामि भारत । आस्तेऊत्र भगवान् कृष्णस्तत्कान्त्या श्यामतां गत:,संजयने कहा--महाराज कुरुनन्दन! सम्पूर्ण द्वीपोंमें गौर, कृष्ण तथा इन दोनों वर्णोका सम्मिश्रण देखा जाता है। भारत! यह पर्वत जिस कारणसे श्याम होकर दूसरोंमें भी श्यामता उत्पन्न करनेवाला हुआ, वह आपको बताता हूँ। यहाँ भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण निवास करते हैं; अतः उन्हींकी कान्तिसे यह (स्वयं भी) श्यामताको प्राप्त हुआ है (और अपने समीप रहनेवाली प्रजामें भी श्यामता उत्पन्न कर देता है)
śyāmo yasmāt pravṛtto vai tat te vakṣyāmi bhārata | āste 'tra bhagavān kṛṣṇas tat-kāntyā śyāmatāṁ gataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, I shall tell you why this place became dark-hued and why it imparts that same hue to others. Here dwells the Blessed Lord Kṛṣṇa; by the radiance of His own complexion this region has taken on that dark tint (and, by proximity, it is said to influence those who live near it as well).”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the transformative power of divine presence: the Lord’s inherent splendor is portrayed as capable of sanctifying and even altering the character of a place and those near it, suggesting that proximity to the divine elevates and reshapes one’s condition.
Sañjaya addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra and explains the cause behind a region’s dark hue, attributing it to the residence of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa there—its darkness is said to be derived from (and reflective of) Kṛṣṇa’s own radiance/complexion.