Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana
Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa
सुधामा नाम दुर्धर्षो द्वितीयो हेमपर्वत:ः । राजेन्द्र! कुशद्वीपमें सुधामा नामसे प्रसिद्ध दूसरा सुवर्णमय पर्वत है, जो मूँगोंसे भरा हुआ और दुर्गम है
sudhāmā nāma durdharṣo dvitīyo hemaparvataḥ | rājendra kuśadvīpe sudhāmā nāma prasiddho dvitīyaḥ suvarṇamayaḥ parvataḥ, yo mūṅgaiḥ pūrṇaḥ durgamaś ca |
Sañjaya said: “O king of kings, in Kuśadvīpa there is a second mountain known as Sudhāmā—golden in splendor, hard to assail, filled with coral-like riches, and difficult to traverse.”
संजय उवाच
The verse primarily conveys cosmographic knowledge: the world is portrayed as vast and layered, containing wondrous regions and formidable natural features. Ethically, it reinforces humility before the immensity of creation and the limits of human power.
Sañjaya is describing features of Kuśadvīpa to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, naming a second mountain called Sudhāmā—golden, rich in coral, and difficult to access—within a broader geographical/cosmological account.