Shloka 11
मेरोर्दिग्वर्णनम् / Digvarṇana of Meru: Uttara-Kuru, Bhadrāśva, and Jambūdvīpa Motifs
वर्षमैरावतं नाम तस्माच्छूज़मत: परम् | न तत्र सूर्यस्तपति न जीर्यन्ते च मानवा:,वहाँ स्वयंप्रभा नामवाली शाण्डिली देवी नित्य निवास करती हैं। जनेश्वर! शृंगवान् पर्वतके उत्तर समुद्रके निकट ऐरावत नामक वर्ष है। अतः इन शिखरोंसे संयुक्त यह वर्ष अन्य वर्षोकी अपेक्षा उत्तम है। वहाँ सूर्यदेव ताप नहीं देते हैं और न वहाँके मनुष्य बूढ़े ही होते हैं
sañjaya uvāca | varṣam airāvataṃ nāma tasmāc chūḍamatāḥ param | na tatra sūryas tapati na jīryante ca mānavāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “North of that lies the region called Airāvata, surpassing the others in excellence. There the sun does not scorch, and the people do not grow old.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a realm characterized by freedom from heat and aging, suggesting that conditions of suffering (tāpa, jarā) are not absolute but contingent—inviting reflection on the fragility of human life and the longing for an ideal order beyond decay.
Sañjaya is describing a northern region named Airāvata, praising it as superior to other lands and noting its extraordinary qualities: the sun does not scorch there and humans do not grow old.