Shloka 19
Description and Measurements of Śākadvīpa
with Oceans, Mountains, Varṣas, and Rivers
ऋषय ऊचुः । सुमहान्संशयोऽस्माकं प्राप्तोयं सूत यत्त्वया । प्रजाः कथं सूत सम्यक्संप्राप्ताः श्यामतामिह
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | sumahānsaṃśayo'smākaṃ prāptoyaṃ sūta yattvayā | prajāḥ kathaṃ sūta samyaksaṃprāptāḥ śyāmatāmiha
ഋഷിമാർ പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ സൂതാ, നീ പറഞ്ഞതുകൊണ്ട് ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് മഹത്തായ സംശയം ഉണർന്നു. പറയുക, ഹേ സൂതാ, ഇവിടെ പ്രജകൾ എങ്ങനെ ശരിയായി ശ്യാമത്വം പ്രാപിച്ചു?”
The sages (Ṛṣayaḥ), addressing Sūta
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुमहान्संशयः = सुमहान् + संशयः; संशयोऽस्माकम् = संशयः + अस्माकम्; प्राप्तोयं = प्राप्तः + अयम्; यत्त्वया = यत् + त्वया; सम्यक्संप्राप्ताः = सम्यक् + संप्राप्ताः
FAQs
The sages (ṛṣayaḥ) are speaking, and they address Sūta, the narrator.
They express a serious doubt and ask how the prajāḥ (creatures/people) have come to attain “śyāmatā,” a dark state or dark complexion, in this context.
It introduces a question-driven passage where cosmological or moral-causal explanations are sought from the narrator, a common Purāṇic method of unfolding doctrine through inquiry and response.