Shloka 7
Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 101: Bhogavatī-varṇana, Nāga-vaṃśa-kathana, and Sumukha-vivāha-prastāva
अस्याश्षतस्रो धेन्वो<न्या दिक्षु सर्वासु मातले । निवसन्ति दिशां पालयो धारयन्त्यो दिश: सम ता:,मातले! सुरभिकी पुत्रीस्वरूपा चार अन्य धेनुएँ हैं, जो सब दिशाओंमें निवास करती हैं। वे दिशाओंका धारण-पोषण करनेवाली हैं
asyāḥ śatasro dhenvo ’nyā dikṣu sarvāsu mātale | nivasanti diśāṁ pālayo dhārayantyo diśaḥ samatāḥ mātale ||
Nārada said: “O Mātali, besides her there are a hundred other cows, present in every direction. Dwelling throughout the quarters, they sustain and protect the directions themselves, upholding the balance and order of the world.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a cosmological ethic: sustaining forces (symbolized by nourishing cows) uphold the stability of the world. Protection and support of the quarters signifies maintaining balance (samatā) and order—an image aligned with dharma as preservation and guardianship.
Nārada addresses Mātali and describes a set of divine cows distributed across all directions. These cows are portrayed as residing in the quarters and functioning as protectors who uphold the directions, emphasizing their role in maintaining cosmic stability.