Shloka 9

नारायणीयमाख्यानम् (Nārāyaṇīyam Ākhyānam) — Nārada’s Return and Hymnic Consolidation

Devanagari script

शतयोजनवित्तारे तिर्यगूर्ध्व च भारत । उदीचीं दिशमास्थाय रुचिरे संददर्श ह,भरतनन्दन! आगे बढ़नेपर श्रीशुकदेवजीने पर्वतके दो दिव्य एवं सुन्दर शिखर देखे, जो एक-दूसरेसे सटे हुए थे। उनमेंसे एक हिमालयका शिखर था और दूसरा मेरुपर्वतका। हिमालयका शिखर रजतमय होनेके कारण श्वेत दिखायी देता था और सुमेरुका स्वर्णमय शंंग पीले रंगका था। इन दोनोंकी लंबाई-चौड़ाई और ऊँचाई सौ-सौ योजनकी थी। उत्तरदिशाकी ओर जाते समय ये दोनों सुरम्य शिखर शुकदेवजीकी दृष्टिमें पड़े

Transliteration

śatayojanavittāre tiryagūrdhva ca bhārata | udīcīṃ diśam āsthāya rucire saṃdadarśa ha ||

Translation

शतयोजनविस्तारे तिर्यगूर्ध्वं च भारत । उदीचीं दिशमास्थाय रुचिरे संददर्श ह ॥

Word by Word

शतयोजनवित्तारेin/at (the two) having a hundred-yojana extent

तिर्यक्horizontally

ऊर्ध्वम्upwards

चand

भारतO Bhārata

उदीचीम्the northern (direction)

दिशम्direction

आस्थायhaving taken to / having set out towards

रुचिरेtwo beautiful (ones)

संददर्शsaw

हindeed / (emphatic particle)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

Udīcī diś (northern direction)

Himālaya

Meru (Sumeru)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames sacred geography as a support for inner discipline: turning toward the northern quarter and beholding exalted peaks symbolizes ascent—steadiness, purity, and the mind’s movement toward higher dharma through contemplation of what is lofty and luminous.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that, while proceeding northward, the traveler beholds two adjacent divine mountain summits—Himālaya (silver-white) and Meru (golden-yellow)—each described as vast, measuring a hundred yojanas in breadth and height.