Shloka 16
भूमिगुण-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the qualities of Earth and the classification of beings
यथा हि पुरुष: पश्येदादर्शे मुखमात्मन: । एवं सुदर्शनद्वीपो दृश्यते चन्द्रमण्डले,जैसे पुरुष दर्पणमें अपना मुँह देखता है, उसी प्रकार सुदर्शनद्वीप चन्द्रमण्डलमें दिखायी देता है
yathā hi puruṣaḥ paśyed ādarśe mukham ātmanaḥ | evaṃ sudarśanadvīpo dṛśyate candramaṇḍale ||
Sañjaya berkata: Seperti seorang lelaki melihat wajahnya sendiri terpantul pada cermin, demikianlah pulau Sudarśana kelihatan terpantul pada cakera Bulan. Perbandingan ini menegaskan bahawa apa yang terlihat mungkin sekadar pantulan, bukan suatu realiti terpisah yang dapat digenggam; maka perlulah kebijaksanaan dan ketelitian dalam memahami khabar-khabar yang menakjubkan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches discernment about appearances: some things are known through reflection or representation, not direct possession or proximity. It cautions the listener to understand extraordinary descriptions through analogy and careful interpretation.
Sanjaya explains a marvel using a familiar example. He says that Sudarśanadvīpa is visible on the Moon’s disk in the way one’s face is visible in a mirror—by reflection—clarifying how such a sight can be reported.