Shloka 37
Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa
Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island
नीलात् परतरं श्रैतं श्वेताद्धैरण्यकं परम् | वर्षमैरावतं राजन् नानाजनपदावृतम्
nīlāt parataraṃ śvaitaṃ śvetād dhairaṇyakaṃ param | varṣam airāvataṃ rājan nānājanapadāvṛtam ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Di seberang Nīla terletak Śvaita; di seberang Śveta ialah wilayah bernama Hairaṇyaka. Dan kemudian, wahai Raja, datanglah negeri yang disebut Airāvata, dipenuhi pelbagai janapada dan penempatan.” Dalam kisah kosmografi ini, Sañjaya memetakan alam-alam utara secara berturutan, menegaskan keluasan dunia yang tersusun serta kepelbagaian bangsa di dalamnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse conveys an ordered vision of the world: regions are described in sequence, and the king is reminded that the earth is vast and populated by diverse communities (janapadas). It implicitly supports the idea that righteous rule must account for the breadth and variety of peoples under a sovereign’s moral horizon.
Sañjaya is describing successive northern regions (varṣas) beyond one another—Śvaita beyond Nīla, Hairaṇyaka beyond Śveta, and then Airāvata—characterizing Airāvata as filled with many provinces and settlements.