Shloka 26

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

वरां वीरकरां चापि पञ्चमीं च महानदीम्‌ | रथचित्रां ज्योतिरथां विश्वामित्रां कपिज्जलाम्‌,सदाकान्ता, शिवा, वीरमती, वस्त्रा, सुवस्त्रा, गौरी, कम्पना, हिरण्वती, वरा, वीरकरा, महानदी पंचमी, रथचित्रा, ज्योतिरथा, विश्वामित्रा, कपिंजला, उपेन्द्रा, बहुला, कुवीरा, अम्बुवाहिनी, विनदी, पिंजला, वेणा, महानदी तुंगवेणा, विदिशा, कृष्णवेणा, ताम्रा, कपिला, खलु, सुवामा, वेदाश्वा, हरिश्रावा, महापगा, शीघ्रा, पिच्छिला, भारद्वाजी नदी, कौशिकी नदी, शोणा, बाहुदा, चन्द्रमा, दुर्गा, चित्रशिला, ब्रह्मवेध्या, बृहद्वती, यवक्षा, रोही तथा जाम्बूनदी

Transliteration

varāṁ vīrakarāṁ cāpi pañcamīṁ ca mahānadīm | rathacitrāṁ jyotirathāṁ viśvāmitrāṁ kapiñjalām ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: «(لقد أبصروا) أنهارًا تُدعى فَرَا (Varā) وفِيرَكَرَا (Vīrakarā)، وكذلك بَنْجَامِي (Pañcamī) والنهر العظيم مَهَانَدِي (Mahānadī)؛ وكذا رَثَچِتْرَا (Rathacitrā)، وجْيُوتِرَثَا (Jyotirathā)، وفِشْوَامِتْرَا (Viśvāmitrā)، وكَبِنْجَلَا (Kapiñjalā).»

Word by Word

वराम्Vara (river-name)

वीरकराम्Vīrakarā (river-name; 'hero-making')

चand

अपिalso

पञ्चमीम्Pañcamī (river-name)

चand

महानदीम्Mahānadī (river-name; 'great river')

रथचित्राम्Rathacitrā (river-name)

ज्योतिरथाम्Jyotirathā (river-name)

विश्वामित्राम्Viśvāmitrā (river-name)

कपिज्जलाम्Kapijjalā (river-name)

सदाकान्ताम्Sadākāntā (river-name)

शिवाम्Śivā (river-name)

वीरमतीम्Vīramatī (river-name)

वस्त्राम्Vastrā (river-name)

सुवस्त्राम्Suvāstrā (river-name; 'well-clad')

गौरीम्Gaurī (river-name)

कम्पनाम्Kampanā (river-name)

हिरण्वतीम्Hiraṇvatī (river-name)

वराम्Vara (river-name)

वीरकराम्Vīrakarā (river-name)

महानदीम्Mahānadī (river-name)

पञ्चमीम्Pañcamī (river-name)

रथचित्राम्Rathacitrā (river-name)

ज्योतिरथाम्Jyotirathā (river-name)

विश्वामित्राम्Viśvāmitrā (river-name)

कपिंजलाम्Kapiṃjalā (river-name)

उपेन्द्राम्Upendrā (river-name)

बहुलाम्Bahulā (river-name)

कुवीराम्Kuvīrā (river-name)

अम्बुवाहिनीम्Ambuvāhinī (river-name; 'water-carrying')

विनदीम्Vinadī (river-name)

पिङ्गलाम्Piṅgalā (river-name)

वेणाम्Veṇā (river-name)

महानदीम्Mahānadī (river-name)

तुand/indeed/but

तुङ्गवेणाम्Tuṅgaveṇā (river-name)

विदिशाम्Vidiśā (river-name)

कृष्णवेणाम्Kṛṣṇaveṇā (river-name; 'dark Veṇā')

ताम्राम्Tāmrā (river-name)

कपिलाम्Kapilā (river-name)

खलुindeed

सुवामाम्Suvāmā (river-name; 'very fair')

वेदाश्वाम्Vedāśvā (river-name)

हरिश्रावाम्Hariśrāvā (river-name)

महापगाम्Mahāpagā (river-name; 'great river')

शीघ्राम्Śīghrā (river-name; 'swift')

पिच्छिलाम्Picchilā (river-name; 'slimy')

भारद्वाजीम्Bhāradvājī (river-name)

नदीम्river

कौशिकीम्Kauśikī (river-name)

नदीम्river

शोणाम्Śoṇā (river-name)

बाहुदाम्Bāhudā (river-name)

चन्द्रमाम्Candramā (river-name here; lit. 'moon')

दुर्गाम्Durgā (river-name)

चित्रशिलाम्Citraśilā (river-name; 'variegated-rock')

ब्रह्मवेध्याम्Brahmavedhyā (river-name)

बृहद्वतीम्Bṛhadvātī (river-name; 'very large')

यवक्षाम्Yavakṣā (river-name)

रोहीम्Rohī (river-name)

तथाand also/likewise

जाम्बूनदीम्Jāmbūnadī (river-name; 'Jambu-river')

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Varā (river)

Vīrakarā (river)

Pañcamī (river)

Mahānadī (river)

Rathacitrā (river)

Jyotirathā (river)

Viśvāmitrā (river)

Kapiñjalā (river)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions less as a moral injunction and more as a dharmic framing device: by naming rivers (often treated as sacred), the narrative situates the impending conflict within a landscape of sanctity and memory. It subtly reminds the listener that human action—especially war—unfolds within a world already charged with religious and ethical significance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting a sequence of places—here, chiefly rivers—encountered/recognized in the course of the larger Bhīṣma-parvan narration. This is part of a broader geographical catalog that maps the region and evokes the sacred topography surrounding the Kurukṣetra events.