Shloka 1
भूमिगुण-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the qualities of Earth and the classification of beings
भीप्य्ज्न्् हु न्िय्ािपराध्य पज्चमो< ध्याय: पंचमहाभूतों तथा सुदर्शनद्वीपका संक्षिप्त वर्णन धृतराष्ट उवाच नदीनां पर्वतानां च नामधेयानि संजय । तथा जनपदानां च ये चान्ये भूमिमाश्रिता:,धृतराष्ट्र बोले--संजय! नदियों, पर्वतों तथा जनपदोंके और दूसरे भी जो पदार्थ इस भूतलपर अश्रित हैं, उन सबके नाम बताओ
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | nadīnāṃ parvatānāṃ ca nāmadheyāni sañjaya | tathā janapadānāṃ ca ye cānye bhūmim āśritāḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Sañjaya, tell me the names of the rivers and the mountains, and likewise of the kingdoms and all other beings and things that dwell upon this earth.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models a king’s desire for comprehensive knowledge of the realm—its rivers, mountains, and peoples—suggesting that understanding the land and its constituents is foundational for responsible rule and for grasping the scale of events about to unfold in the war narrative.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya, requesting a detailed naming of the earth’s features—rivers, mountains, and regions—setting up a descriptive catalogue that situates the Kurukṣetra conflict within a broader geographical and worldly frame.