Shloka 15
भूमिगुण-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the qualities of Earth and the classification of beings
वृक्षै: पुष्पफलोपेतै: सम्पन्नधनधान्यवान् । लवणेन समुद्रेण समनन््तात् परिवारित:,वह नाना प्रकारकी नदियोंके जलसे आच्छादित, मेघके समान उच्चतम पर्वतोंसे सुशोभित, भाँति-भाँतिके नगरों, रमणीय जनपदों तथा फल-फूलसे भरे हुए वृक्षोंसे विभूषित है। यह द्वीप भाँति-भाँतिकी सम्पदाओं तथा धन-धान्यसे सम्पन्न है। उसे सब ओरसे लवणसमुद्रने घेर रखा है
sañjaya uvāca | vṛkṣaiḥ puṣpaphalopetaiḥ sampannadhanadhānyavān | lavaṇena samudreṇa samantāt parivāritaḥ ||
Negeri itu dihiasi pepohonan yang sarat bunga dan buah, serta berlimpah harta dan biji-bijian. Dari segala penjuru ia dikelilingi samudra asin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents an idealized vision of a flourishing world: abundance of nature (flowers, fruits), material sufficiency (wealth and grain), and clear boundaries (encirclement by the ocean). In Mahābhārata’s ethical imagination, such prosperity is typically associated with order, stability, and the conditions that righteous governance (dharma-aligned rule) is meant to protect.
Sañjaya is describing the world/land in elevated, cosmographic terms—emphasizing its richness and completeness. This functions as descriptive framing within Bhīṣma Parva, setting a grand backdrop for the events of the Kurukṣetra war by recalling the vast, ordered world in which the conflict unfolds.