Shloka 7
The Description of Mandara (Mandaropavarṇanam) in the Mohinī Narrative
यो धृतो हरिणा पूर्वं मथितो देवदानवैः । षड्लक्षयोजनः सिंधुर्यस्यासौ गह्वरो भवेत् ॥ ७ ॥
yo dhṛto hariṇā pūrvaṃ mathito devadānavaiḥ | ṣaḍlakṣayojanaḥ siṃdhuryasyāsau gahvaro bhavet || 7 ||
جو پہلے ہری نے سنبھالا تھا اور جسے دیوتاؤں اور دانَووں نے متھّا تھا—اس کا سمندر چھ لاکھ یوجن پھیلا ہوا ہے، اور وہی عظیم گہوارہ اس کی اتھاہ گہرائی بن جاتا ہے۔
Suta (narrating the Purana; within the broader Narada–Sanatkumara teaching lineage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta (wonder)
Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)
FAQs
The verse frames sacred geography as part of a Vishnu-centered cosmos: the immense ocean and its depths are described in relation to Hari’s sustaining power and the primordial churning, reminding the listener that tirtha-mahātmyas rest on a theistic cosmology where Vishnu upholds and orders the world.
Bhakti is implied through attribution: cosmic stability and even the famed churning episode are ultimately anchored in Hari. In the tirtha context, such remembrance (smaraṇa) of Vishnu while hearing about sacred places is itself a devotional act that purifies the mind.
The practical element is purāṇic māna (traditional measures) used in cosmography—e.g., yojana-based dimensions—supporting how sacred geography and pilgrimage literature present structured descriptions of the world for recitation, teaching, and ritual orientation.