Shloka 34
Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa
Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island
जायन्ते मानवास्तत्र निष्टप्तकनकप्रभा: । गन्धमादनशज्ञेषु कुबेर: सह राक्षसै:
jāyante mānavās tatra niṣṭaptakanakaprabhaḥ | gandhamādanaśṛṅgeṣu kuberaḥ saha rākṣasaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: There, human beings are born with the radiance of heated, refined gold. Upon the peaks of Gandhamādana dwells Kubera, accompanied by his rākṣasa attendants—an image of a realm where splendor and formidable guardianship coexist, suggesting that prosperity is protected by power and discipline.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys that extraordinary prosperity and brilliance (gold-like radiance) are not merely ornamental; they are situated within an order where wealth (Kubera) is guarded by formidable forces (rākṣasas). Ethically, it hints that abundance requires protection, restraint, and rightful stewardship.
Sañjaya describes a wondrous region associated with Gandhamādana: humans there are depicted as shining like refined gold, and Kubera is said to reside on the mountain’s peaks with his rākṣasa attendants, as part of a broader descriptive passage of sacred or extraordinary locales.