Shloka 16
Chapter 7: Dvīpa–Varṣa–Meru-varṇana
Description of the Dvīpa, Varṣas, and Mount Meru
तत्र ते पुरुषा: श्वेतास्तेजोयुक्ता महाबला: । स्त्रिय: कुमुदवर्णाश्च सुन्दर्य: प्रियदर्शना:
tatra te puruṣāḥ śvetās tejoyuktā mahābalāḥ | striyaḥ kumudavarṇāś ca sundaryaḥ priyadarśanāḥ ||
संजय म्हणाला—तेथील पुरुष श्वेतवर्ण, तेजस्वी आणि महाबलवान असतात. तेथील स्त्रिया कुमुद-पुष्पासारख्या गौरवर्णाच्या, सुंदर आणि पाहण्यास प्रिय असतात.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily offers descriptive ethnography rather than a direct moral injunction: it highlights how different regions/peoples are portrayed through qualities like radiance (tejas), strength (bala), and pleasing appearance—traits often associated with prosperity and orderly social life in epic narrative.
Sañjaya is describing a particular land/people to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, characterizing the men as fair and powerful and the women as lotus-hued and attractive—part of a broader catalog-like depiction within Bhīṣma Parva.