Text 40]
The Activities of Mahārāja Priyavrata
73
he will be very highly esteemed. Mahārāja Priyavrata was such a devotee.
TEXT 40
भूसंस्थानं कृतं येन सरिद्विरिवनादिभिः ।
सीमा च भूतनिर्वृत्यै द्वीपे द्वीपे विभागशः ॥४०॥
bhū-saṁsthānaṁ kṛtaṁ yena sarid-giri-vanādibhiḥ sīmā ca bhūta-nirvṛtyai dvīpe dvīpe vibhāgaśaḥ
bhū-saṁsthānaṁ —the situation of the earth;  kṛtaṁ —done;  yena —by whom;  sarit —by rivers;  giri —by hills and mountains;  vana-ādibhiḥ —by forests and so on;  sīmā —boundaries;  ca —also;  bhūta —of different nations;  nirvṛtyai —to stop fighting;  dvīpe dvīpe —on the various islands;  vibhāgaśaḥ —separately.
TRANSLATION
“To stop the quarreling among different peoples, Mahārāja Priyavrata marked boundaries at rivers and at the edges of mountains and forests so that no one would trespass upon another’s property.”
PURPORT
The example set by Mahārāja Priyavrata in marking off different states is still followed. As indicated here, different classes of men are destined to live in different areas, and therefore the boundaries of various tracts of land, which are described here as islands. should be defined by different rivers, forests and hills. This is also mentioned in relation to Mahārāja Pṛthu, who was born from the dead body of his father by the manipulation of great sages. Mahārāja Pṛthu’s father was very sinful, and therefore a black man called Niṣāda was first born from his dead body. The Naiṣāda race was given a place in the forest because by nature they are thieves and rogues. As animals are given places in various forests and hills, men who are like animals are also destined to