Shloka 37
नीलात् परतरं श्रैतं श्वेताद्धैरण्यकं परम् | वर्षमैरावतं राजन् नानाजनपदावृतम्,नील पर्वतसे उत्तर श्वेतवर्ष और श्वेतवर्षसे उत्तर हिरण्यकवर्ष है। तत्पश्चात् शृंगवान् पर्ववसे आगे ऐरावत नामक वर्ष है। राजन! वह अनेकानेक जनपदोंसे भरा हुआ है
nīlāt parataraṃ śvaitaṃ śvetād dhairaṇyakaṃ param | varṣam airāvataṃ rājan nānājanapadāvṛtam ||
Sañjaya said: “Beyond Nīla lies Śvaita; beyond Śveta is the region called Hairaṇyaka. And then, O King, comes the land known as Airāvata, covered with many and varied provinces and settlements.” In this cosmographic narration, Sañjaya maps successive northern realms, emphasizing the ordered expanse of the world and the diversity of peoples within it.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys an ordered vision of the world: regions are described in sequence, and the king is reminded that the earth is vast and populated by diverse communities (janapadas). It implicitly supports the idea that righteous rule must account for the breadth and variety of peoples under a sovereign’s moral horizon.
Sañjaya is describing successive northern regions (varṣas) beyond one another—Śvaita beyond Nīla, Hairaṇyaka beyond Śveta, and then Airāvata—characterizing Airāvata as filled with many provinces and settlements.