Shloka 1
Chapter 7: Dvīpa–Varṣa–Meru-varṇana
Description of the Dvīpa, Varṣas, and Mount Meru
[दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका ह श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ५६ ६ “लोक हैं।] न#फमशा रत (0) अमन न सप्तमो<ध्याय: उत्तर कुरु
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | meror athottaraṃ pārśvaṃ pūrvaṃ cācakṣva me sañjaya | nikhilena mahābuddhe mālyavantaṃ ca parvatam ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra dijo: «Sañjaya, hombre de gran inteligencia, descríbeme por completo lo que se halla al norte del monte Meru y también su región oriental. Y háblame asimismo, con detalle, de la montaña llamada Mālyavān.»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined inquiry: a ruler seeks a complete, orderly account from a trusted narrator. Ethically, it highlights the value of careful listening and comprehensive understanding before forming judgments.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra prompts Sañjaya to continue a detailed description of the world’s regions—specifically the northern and eastern areas of Mount Meru—and to explain the mountain Mālyavān, setting up a cosmographic/geographical passage within Bhīṣma Parva.