Shloka 8

Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa

Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island

Devanagari script

हेमकूटात्‌ परं चैव हरिवर्ष प्रचक्षते । दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य निषधस्योत्तरेण तु

Transliteration

hemakūṭāt paraṃ caiva harivarṣaṃ pracakṣate | dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya niṣadhasyottareṇa tu ||

Translation

ہیمکُوٹ پہاڑ کے آگے ‘ہری ورش’ کہا گیا ہے۔ وہ نیلگِری کے جنوب میں اور نِشَدھ پہاڑ کے شمال میں واقع ہے۔

Word by Word

• हेमकूटात्: from Hemakūṭa (mountain)
• हेमकूटात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमकूट
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• परम्: beyond, further
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हरिवर्षम्: Harivarṣa (a region)
• हरिवर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिवर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रचक्षते: they declare/call
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-चक्ष्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• दक्षिणेन: to the south (by the southern side)
• दक्षिणेन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• नीलस्य: of Nīla (mountain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निषधस्य: of Niṣadha (mountain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• उत्तरेण: to the north (by the northern side)
• उत्तरेण: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तु: and/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Hemakūṭa (mountain)
• Harivarṣa (region)
• Nīla (mountain)
• Niṣadha (mountain)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys a traditional, ordered mapping of the world: regions are defined by clear natural boundaries (mountain ranges). This reflects the epic’s concern with cosmic order—how reality is structured and named within inherited knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing the layout of major regions and mountains, locating Harivarṣa relative to Hemakūṭa, Nīla, and Niṣadha as part of a broader geographic/cosmographic account within Bhīṣma Parva.