Shloka 17
भूमिगुण-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the qualities of Earth and the classification of beings
द्विरंशे पिप्पलस्तत्र द्विरेशे च शशों महान् । सर्वौषधिसमावाय: सर्वत: परिवारित:,इसके दो अंशमें पिप्पल और दो अंशमें महान् शश दृष्टिगोचर होता है। इनके सब ओर सम्पूर्ण ओषधियोंका समुदाय फैला हुआ है
dvir-aṁśe pippalas tatra dvir-eśe ca śaśo mahān | sarvauṣadhi-samāvāyaḥ sarvataḥ parivāritaḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: “Dalam penglihatan itu tampak pohon pippala (aśvattha) menempati dua bagian, dan demikian pula tampak seekor kelinci agung menempati dua bagian. Di sekelilingnya terbentang himpunan segala macam tumbuhan obat, mengitari dari segala arah.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses symbolic natural imagery—sacred tree, hare, and healing herbs—to frame the war narrative within a moral cosmos where signs in nature reflect the ethical and fateful weight of human action.
Sañjaya reports a striking vision/scene in which a pippala tree and a great hare appear in measured ‘portions,’ with a complete ring of medicinal herbs surrounding them—part of the broader descriptive passage of signs and portents in Bhīṣma Parva.