Shloka 38
Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa
Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island
धनु:संस्थे महाराज द्रे वर्षे दक्षिणोत्तरे । इलावृतं मध्यमं तु पञच वर्षाणि चैव हि
dhanuḥsaṃsthe mahārāja dve varṣe dakṣiṇottare | ilāvṛtaṃ madhyamaṃ tu pañca varṣāṇi caiva hi ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, pada dua ‘hujung’ bagaikan dua pucuk busur terletak dua wilayah, selatan dan utara. Di tengahnya ialah Ilāvṛta; dan sesungguhnya ada lima wilayah di antaranya.” Dalam konteksnya, ayat ini memetakan geografi kosmos dalam susunan yang jelas dan teratur—seakan menyiratkan subteks moral tentang keharmonian dan penataan yang wajar (dharma) meski dalam kepelbagaian yang luas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes an ordered cosmic arrangement—regions placed with symmetry (like the ends of a bow) and a defined center (Ilāvṛta). Implicitly, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring ideal that stability and righteousness (dharma) depend on proper order and clear structure.
Sañjaya is describing the world’s divisions (varṣas) in a cosmographic account, locating the southern and northern regions at the ‘two ends’ and identifying Ilāvṛta as the central region, with five regions described as lying in between.