06.006
Library: Dhritarashtra enquires about the earth and earth dwellers. Sanjaya starts with the description of movable and immovable beings.
Dhritarashtra spoke:
O Sanjaya, here are the names of the rivers, mountains, and regions, along with those who inhabit the land.
O Sañjaya, describe completely the measures and the knower of measures of the earth, and also the forests entirely.
Sanjaya said:
O great king, the wise declare that these five great elements are the common constituents of all the worlds.
The earth, water, air, fire, and ether are all qualities, with earth being the primary one.
The sages who understand the essence of reality have described sound, touch, form, taste, and smell as the five inherent qualities of the earth.
O king, there are four qualities in water, but smell is absent. Fire possesses sound, touch, and form as its qualities, while air has sound and touch. In space, only sound exists.
O King, these five qualities are present in the five great elements and exist in all the worlds where the worlds are established.
When there is no overcoming of each other, equality is indeed established. However, when they mutually enter into a state of inequality, then the embodied beings transcend through their bodies, and not otherwise.
In the divine order, all things perish and are born sequentially; these forms are immeasurable and divine.
In various places, indeed, elements composed of the five great elements are observed. Humans declare their evidences through reasoning.
The inconceivable states cannot be comprehended through logic. What lies beyond nature is the hallmark of the inconceivable.
I will describe to you the beautiful Sudarshana island, O descendant of Kuru. This island, O great king, is perfectly circular and situated like a wheel.
The landscape was covered by river water and mountains that looked like clouds, and it was adorned with cities of various beautiful forms and regions.
The land is lush with trees bearing flowers and fruits, abundant in wealth and grains, and is entirely surrounded by the salty ocean.
Just as a man sees his reflection in a mirror, the Sudarshana island is visible in the moon's sphere.
The Pippala tree and the great hare are each divided into two parts, surrounded by all kinds of medicinal plants. Then, other waters are to be understood. This is the summary.
