Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गड्जा महानदी वेणा कावेरी नर्मदा तथा । कुलम्पुना विशल्या च करतोयाम्बुवाहिनी

Transliteration

gaḍjā mahānadī veṇā kāverī narmadā tathā | kulampunā viśalyā ca karatoyāmbuvāhinī ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: «(Invoco además) los ríos Gaḍjā, Mahānadī, Veṇā, Kāverī y Narmadā; y también Kulampunā, Viśalyā, Karatoyā y Ambuvāhinī».

Word by Word

• गङ्गा: the river Ganga
• गङ्गा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• महानदी: the river Mahanadi
• महानदी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महानदी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वेणा: the river Vena
• वेणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कावेरी: the river Kaveri
• कावेरी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कावेरी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नर्मदा: the river Narmada
• नर्मदा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• कुलम्पुना: the river Kulampunā
• कुलम्पुना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलम्पुना
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विशल्या: the river Viśalyā
• विशल्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशल्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• करतोया: the river Karatoyā
• करतोया: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: करतोया
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अम्बुवाहिनी: the river Ambuvāhinī (water-carrying)
• अम्बुवाहिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बुवाहिनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Gaḍjā (river)
• Mahānadī (river)
• Veṇā (river)
• Kāverī (river)
• Narmadā (river)
• Kulampunā (river)
• Viśalyā (river)
• Karatoyā (river)
• Ambuvāhinī (river)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Recollection and reverent naming of sacred rivers (and, by extension, divine powers) is presented as a dharmic act that purifies the mind and invites protection; it models reliance on sanctity, gratitude, and remembrance rather than aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma continues a long protective enumeration (nāma-smaraṇa) by listing additional rivers. The verse is one segment of a broader litany in which holy beings and places are invoked to confer auspiciousness and safeguarding.