Shloka 26
Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana
Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa
जम्बूद्वीपात् प्रवर्तन्ते रत्नानि विविधान्युत
jambūdvīpāt pravartante ratnāni vividhāny uta
Sañjaya said: From Jambūdvīpa arise and are brought forth many kinds of precious gems—an image of the earth’s abundance that frames the coming account with a sense of vast, ordered prosperity amid the unfolding war narrative.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line evokes the idea that the world (Jambūdvīpa) naturally yields diverse treasures; implicitly, prosperity and resources are part of a larger cosmic order, and their right use depends on dharmic governance rather than mere possession—an important ethical backdrop in a war setting.
Sañjaya, narrating to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, introduces a descriptive passage about the world’s riches—specifically that various gems originate from Jambūdvīpa—serving as contextual description within Bhīṣma Parva’s broader war narration.