Shloka 31
Śākadvīpa–Pramāṇa–Varṇana
Measurements and Description of Śākadvīpa
भोजन चात्र कौरव्य प्रजा: स्वयमुपस्थितम् | सिद्धमेव महाबाहो तद्धि भुञ्जन्ति नित्यदा,महाबाहु कुरुनन्दन! यहाँकी प्रजाओंके पास सदा पका-पकाया भोजन स्वयं उपस्थित हो जाता है और उसीको खाकर वे लोग रहते हैं
bhojanaṃ cātra kauravya prajāḥ svayam upasthitam | siddham eva mahābāho tad dhi bhuñjanti nityadā ||
Sañjaya said: “O Kauravya, in this land the people find their food already prepared and appearing of itself. O mighty-armed one, they live day after day by eating that ready fare.” The statement underscores an ideal of effortless sustenance and social well-being—an image of a realm where basic needs are naturally met, contrasting with the scarcity and violence that war brings.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ideal condition of governance and cosmic order where the populace’s basic needs—especially food—are effortlessly fulfilled. Ethically, it implies that a well-ordered realm (aligned with dharma) is marked by security and abundance, making war’s disruption of such welfare morally weighty.
Sañjaya is describing to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as ‘Kauravya’) a region/people characterized by continual, ready availability of cooked food. It functions as a descriptive aside within the larger Bhīṣma-parvan narration, emphasizing prosperity and ease of living.