Shloka 40

Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana

Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa

Devanagari script

स्वर्भानो: कौरवश्रेष्ठ यावदेव प्रमाणत: । परिमण्डलो महाराज स्वर्भानु: श्रूयते ग्रह:

Transliteration

svarbhānoḥ kauravaśreṣṭha yāvad eva pramāṇataḥ | parimaṇḍalo mahārāja svarbhānuḥ śrūyate grahaḥ ||

Translation

संजय बोले—कौरवश्रेष्ठ! जितना प्रमाण सुनने में आता है, उतना ही मैं स्वर्भानु (राहु) का विस्तार आपको बताता हूँ। महाराज! स्वर्भानु को ग्रह कहा गया है और वह मण्डलाकार है।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'svarbhānuḥ', 'definition': 'Svarbhānu

• a name associated with Rāhu, the eclipse-causing celestial being/‘planet’ in traditional astronomy'}, {'term': 'kauravaśreṣṭha', 'definition': 'best among the Kurus

• an honorific address (to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}, {'term': 'yāvat eva', 'definition': 'just so much as

• to the extent that'}, {'term': 'pramāṇataḥ', 'definition': 'according to measure

• in terms of dimensions/extent'}, {'term': 'parimaṇḍalaḥ', 'definition': 'circular

• round in shape'}, {'term': 'mahārāja', 'definition': 'great king

• royal address'}, {'term': 'śrūyate', 'definition': 'is heard of

• is traditionally reported/known'}, {'term': 'grahaḥ', 'definition': '‘seizer’

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Svarbhānu (Rāhu)
• Kuru lineage (Kaurava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes reliance on received tradition and measured description (pramāṇa) when speaking about cosmic phenomena, presenting knowledge as something reported and bounded by what is known.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues a cosmological account, shifting from describing islands to describing celestial bodies, and introduces Svarbhānu (Rāhu), stating its reputed size and its circular form.