Shloka 7
Bhārata-varṣa-varṇana
Description of Bhārata: Mountains, Rivers, and Janapadas
न प्रमाणस्थितिह॑स्ति तिष्येडस्मिन् भरतर्षभ । गर्भस्थाक्ष प्रियन्ते5त्र तथा जाता प्रियन्ति च,भरतश्रेष्ठ] इस कलियुगमें आयु-प्रमाणकी कोई मर्यादा नहीं है। यहाँ गर्भके बच्चे भी मरते हैं और नवजात शिशु भी मृत्युको प्राप्त होते हैं
sañjaya uvāca | na pramāṇa-sthitir asti tiṣye 'smin bharatarṣabha | garbha-sthāḥ kṣīyante 'tra tathā jātāḥ kṣīyanti ca ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai banteng di antara Bharata, dalam zaman Tiṣya (Kali) ini tiada ukuran tetap atau kepastian tentang umur. Di sini, bahkan yang masih dalam kandungan pun binasa, dan yang baru lahir juga menemui maut.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the instability of human life in a degenerate age: lifespan is not reliably measured, and death can come even before birth or immediately after. Ethically, it urges sobriety, compassion, and urgency in pursuing dharma amid uncertainty.
Sañjaya addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra and describes the harsh conditions of the Tiṣya age, emphasizing that mortality is unpredictable—unborn and newborn children alike may perish—setting a somber moral backdrop to the unfolding events.