Shloka 18
भूमिगुण-प्रश्नः
Inquiry into the qualities of Earth and the classification of beings
आपफस्ततोडन््या विज्ञेया: शेष: संक्षेप उच्यते । ततोअन्य उच्यते चायमेनं संक्षेपत: शृूणु
āpaḥ sarvatodāḥ vijñeyāḥ; śeṣaḥ saṅkṣepa ucyate | tato 'nya ucyate cāyam enaṃ saṅkṣepataḥ śṛṇu ||
سنجے نے کہا—ان سب کو چھوڑ کر جو باقی پھیلاؤ ہے، اسے ہر سمت پانی ہی پانی سمجھو۔ اس کے سوا جو مختصر سا خشکی کا خطہ رہ جاتا ہے، اسے میں اختصار سے بیان کرتا ہوں؛ سنو۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined narration: first delimit the vast background (the surrounding waters), then present the essential remainder (the land) in a concise, orderly summary—an ethical ideal of clarity and restraint in speech.
Sañjaya transitions into a brief description of a specific land-region, after noting that the rest of the surrounding expanse is water, and invites the listener to hear the concise account.