Shloka 42
Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana
Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa
षष्टिमाहु: शतान्यस्य बुधा: पौराणिकास्तथा । चन्द्रमास्तु सहस्राणि राजन्नेकादश स्मृत:,पौराणिक विद्वान् उसकी विपुलता (मोटाई) छः: हजार योजनकी बताते हैं। राजन! चन्द्रमाका व्यास ग्यारह हजार योजन है
ṣaṣṭim āhuḥ śatāny asya budhāḥ paurāṇikās tathā | candramās tu sahasrāṇi rājann ekādaśa smṛtaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, para cendekia Paurāṇika menyatakan ketebalannya enam puluh ratus (yakni enam ribu) yojana. Dan Bulan, wahai Raja, diingat memiliki diameter sebelas ribu yojana.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes reliance on received tradition (smṛti) and learned testimony (budhāḥ paurāṇikāḥ) when describing cosmological facts, presenting a worldview where authoritative transmission is a key means of knowledge.
Sañjaya continues reporting to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra a Purāṇic-style cosmological description, giving numerical measures—first the thickness of a referenced celestial/cosmic entity, and then stating the Moon’s diameter as eleven thousand yojanas.