Shloka 15
Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa
Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island
मेरुरुत्तममध्यानामधमानां च पक्षिणाम् | अविशेषकरो यस्मात् तस्मादेनं त्यजाम्यहम्
Merur uttama-madhyānām adhamānāṁ ca pakṣiṇām | aviśeṣa-karo yasmāt tasmād enaṁ tyajāmy aham ||
Sañjaya dit : «Puisque le mont Meru ne fait aucune distinction entre les oiseaux supérieurs, moyens et inférieurs, je l’abandonnerai.» Sur cette pensée, Sumukha —fils du roi des oiseaux, Garuḍa— après avoir vu des corbeaux au corps d’or sur le Meru, quitta ce lieu pour un autre, rejetant un domaine où le mérite et la bassesse semblaient mis sur le même plan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical need for viveka (discernment): a setting that erases distinctions between the worthy and the unworthy is portrayed as problematic, prompting withdrawal rather than endorsement. It suggests that honoring merit and maintaining appropriate standards is part of dharma.
Sañjaya narrates that Sumukha, the son of Garuḍa, sees golden-bodied crows on Mount Meru and concludes that Meru does not differentiate among superior, middling, and inferior birds. Displeased by this lack of distinction, he decides to leave Meru and goes elsewhere.