Shloka 48
कुरुवंशप्रश्नः—दुःषन्तस्य राजधर्मवर्णनम्
Kuru Lineage Inquiry and the Portrait of King Duḥṣanta’s Rule
यथा समुद्रो भगवान् यथा मेरुमहागिरि: | उभौ ख्यातौ रत्ननिधी तथा भारतमुच्यते,जैसे ऐश्वर्यपूर्ण समुद्र और महान् पर्वत मेरु दोनों रत्नोंकी खान कहे गये हैं, वैसे ही महाभारत रत्नस्वरूप कथाओं और उपदेशोंका भण्डार कहा जाता है
yathā samudro bhagavān yathā merumahāgiriḥ | ubhau khyātau ratnanidhī tathā bhāratam ucyate ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Así como el majestuoso océano y el gran monte Meru son célebres ambos como tesoros de joyas, así también se dice que el Mahābhārata es un depósito de relatos y enseñanzas semejantes a gemas.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents the Mahābhārata as a ‘treasury of jewels’—meaning its stories and instructions are precious resources for understanding dharma, ethical conduct, and right judgment, comparable to the ocean and Meru as famed repositories of gems.
Vaiśampāyana is characterizing the Mahābhārata itself, using a simile: as the ocean and Mount Meru are celebrated for containing jewels, the epic is celebrated for containing invaluable narratives and moral teachings.