ततः परं समा नाम दृश्यते लोकसंस्थितिः ॥
चतुरश्रा महाराज त्रयस् त्रिंशत् तु मण्डलम् ॥
तत्र तिष्ठन्ति कौरव्य चत्वारो लोकसंमताः ॥
दिग्गजा भरतश्रेष्ठ वामनैरावतादयः ॥
सुप्रतीकस् तथा राजन् प्रभिन्नकरटामुखः ॥
तस्याहं परिमाणं तु न संख्यातुम् इहोत्सहे ॥
असंख्यातः स नित्यं हि तिर्यग् ऊर्ध्वम् अधस् तथा ॥
तत्र वै वायवो वान्ति दिग्भ्यः सर्वाभ्य एव च ॥
असंबाधा महाराज तान् निगृह्णन्ति ते गजाः ॥
पुष्करैः पद्मसंकाशैर् वर्ष्मवद्भिर् महाप्रभैः ॥
ते शनैः पुनर् एवाशु वायून् मुञ्चन्ति नित्यशः ॥
श्वसद्भिर् मुच्यमानास् तु दिग्गजैर् इह मारुताः ॥
आगच्छन्ति महाराज ततस् तिष्ठन्ति वै प्रजाः ॥
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
परो वै विस्तरो ऽत्यर्थं त्वया संजय कीर्तितः ॥
दर्शितं द्वीपसंस्थानम् उत्तरं ब्रूहि संजय ॥
tataḥ paraṃ samā nāma dṛśyate lokasaṃsthitiḥ ||
caturaśrā mahārāja trayas triṃśat tu maṇḍalam ||
tatra tiṣṭhanti kauravya catvāro lokasaṃmatāḥ ||
diggajā bharataśreṣṭha vāmanairāvatādayaḥ ||
supratīkas tathā rājan prabhinnakaraṭāmukhaḥ ||
tasyāhaṃ parimāṇaṃ tu na saṃkhyātum ihotsahe ||
asaṃkhyātaḥ sa nityaṃ hi tiryag ūrdhvam adhas tathā ||
tatra vai vāyavo vānti digbhyaḥ sarvābhya eva ca ||
asaṃbādhā mahārāja tān nigṛhṇanti te gajāḥ ||
puṣkaraiḥ padmasaṃkāśair varṣmavadbhir mahāprabhaiḥ ||
te śanaiḥ punar evāśu vāyūn muñcanti nityaśaḥ ||
śvasadbhir mucyamānās tu diggajair iha mārutāḥ ||
āgacchanti mahārāja tatas tiṣṭhanti vai prajāḥ ||
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
paro vai vistaro 'tyarthaṃ tvayā saṃjaya kīrtitaḥ ||
darśitaṃ dvīpasaṃsthānam uttaraṃ brūhi saṃjaya ||
Farther on is seen a region of the world's arrangement called Sama: it is quadrangular, O great king, and its circle measures thirty-three. There, O Kaurava, stand the four elephants of the quarters recognized by the world, O best of the Bharatas, beginning with Vamana and Airavata; and also Supratika, O king, his temples and face in rut. I do not venture here to reckon its measure: it is ever immeasurable in breadth, above, and below. There winds blow free from every quarter, O great king, and these elephants hold them back. With their trunks — lotus-like, massive, and of great splendor — they slowly, and then swiftly, release the winds again and again. The winds released here by the breath of the elephants of the quarters come forth, O great king, and by this the beings are sustained. Dhritarashtra said: 'O Sanjaya, you have proclaimed an exceedingly vast expanse and shown the arrangement of the dvīpas. Now tell me what follows.'
14dfc7fc3c3c · published Jul 17, 2026, 8:47:27 PM UTC
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The world-elephants in this account are no mere ornament: they hold back and release the winds on which the stability of beings depends. The cosmos is shown as a living order, where even the movement of the air stands under the guard of mighty pillars.