Shloka 16
Chapter 7: Dvīpa–Varṣa–Meru-varṇana
Description of the Dvīpa, Varṣas, and Mount Meru
तत्र ते पुरुषा: श्वेतास्तेजोयुक्ता महाबला: । स्त्रिय: कुमुदवर्णाश्च सुन्दर्य: प्रियदर्शना:
tatra te puruṣāḥ śvetās tejoyuktā mahābalāḥ | striyaḥ kumudavarṇāś ca sundaryaḥ priyadarśanāḥ ||
संजय बोले—वहाँ के पुरुष श्वेतवर्ण के, तेजस्वी और महाबली होते हैं। वहाँ की स्त्रियाँ कुमुद-पुष्प के समान गौरवर्ण, सुन्दरी और देखने में प्रिय होती हैं।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily offers descriptive ethnography rather than a direct moral injunction: it highlights how different regions/peoples are portrayed through qualities like radiance (tejas), strength (bala), and pleasing appearance—traits often associated with prosperity and orderly social life in epic narrative.
Sañjaya is describing a particular land/people to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, characterizing the men as fair and powerful and the women as lotus-hued and attractive—part of a broader catalog-like depiction within Bhīṣma Parva.