Shloka 33
Yuga-Lakṣaṇa and Varṣa-Pramāṇa Inquiry (युगलक्षण–वर्षप्रमाण–प्रश्न)
चक्षुर्वर्धनिका चैव नदी भरतसत्तम । तत्र प्रवृत्ता: पुण्योदा नद्यः कुरुकुलोद्वह,कुरुनन्दन! भरतश्रेष्ठ! उस द्वीपमें सुकुमारी, कुमारी, शीताशी, वेणिका, महानदी, मणिजला तथा चक्षुर्वर्धनिका आदि पवित्र जलवाली नदियाँ बहती हैं
cakṣurvardhanikā caiva nadī bharatasattama | tatra pravṛttāḥ puṇyodā nadyaḥ kurukulodvaha ||
Sañjaya said: “O best of the Bharatas, O upholder of the Kuru line—there too flows the river Cakṣurvardhanikā; and in that region run many rivers whose waters are holy.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethic of reverence for sacred landscapes: rivers are portrayed as purifying forces, reminding rulers and listeners that dharma is supported not only by conduct but also by honoring holy places and waters.
Sañjaya continues a descriptive catalogue of regions and their features, naming rivers—especially Cakṣurvardhanikā—and stating that many holy-watered rivers flow there, while addressing the listener with honorific epithets tied to the Bharata and Kuru lineages.