Shloka 13
Brahmā’s Enumeration of Primacies (Ādi) and the Supremacy of Knowledge
Jñāna
पर्वतानां महामेरु: सर्वेषामग्रज: स्मृत: । दिशां च प्रदिशां चोर्ध्व॑ दिक्पूर्वा प्रथणा तथा
parvatānāṃ mahāmeruḥ sarveṣām agrajaḥ smṛtaḥ | diśāṃ ca pradiśāṃ cordhvaṃ dik pūrvā prathanā tathā ||
ବାୟୁ କହିଲେ—ସମସ୍ତ ପର୍ବତମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ମହାମେରୁ ଅଗ୍ରଜ ଓ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବୋଲି ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ; ଏବଂ ଦିଗ ଓ ବିଦିଗମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ପୂର୍ବଦିଗ ପ୍ରଥମ—ପ୍ରଧାନ ଓ ଆଦ୍ୟ—ବୋଲି ଗଣ୍ୟ।
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts an ordered hierarchy in the cosmos as preserved by tradition: just as Mahāmeru is held to be the foremost among mountains, the eastern direction is treated as the primary among directions. It frames ‘primacy’ as a recognized, inherited standard (smṛti) rather than a personal preference.
Vāyudeva is speaking and is describing cosmological precedence—identifying Mahāmeru as the first/foremost mountain and the East as the chief direction—likely to ground a discussion of orientation, auspiciousness, or ritual/normative order within the Ashvamedhika Parva context.