Shloka 2
भूमिगुण-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the qualities of Earth and the classification of beings
प्रमाणं च प्रमाणज्ञ पृथिव्या मम सर्वतः । निखिलेन समाचक्ष्व काननानि च संजय,प्रमाणवेत्ता संजय! तुम सारी पृथ्वीका पूरा प्रमाण (लम्बाई-चौड़ाईका माप) मुझे बताओ। साथ ही यहाँके वनोंका भी वर्णन करो
pramāṇaṃ ca pramāṇajña pṛthivyā mama sarvataḥ | nikhilena samācakṣva kānanāni ca saṃjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Ó Saṃjaya, conhecedor das medidas, conta-me por inteiro a extensão da terra em todas as direções—suas dimensões, seu comprimento e sua largura—e descreve também as florestas que aqui se encontram.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a ruler’s dependence on accurate knowledge and competent counsel: before action, one seeks reliable assessment of terrain and resources. Ethically, it underscores that power without clear understanding becomes blind—hence the need for truthful reporting and informed deliberation.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Saṃjaya, asking him to describe the earth’s extent and the surrounding forests. This sets a descriptive, strategic frame for the coming war narrative, focusing attention on the battlefield region and its natural features.