Shloka 12
कृपकृपी-जननम्
The Birth of Kṛpa and Kṛpī; Kṛpa’s Attainment of Astras
महानदीनितम्बांश्न गहनान् गिरिगह्दरान् । सन्ति नित्यहिमा देशा निर्वक्षमृगपक्षिण:,“इस मार्गमें हमने कई बड़ी-बड़ी नदियोंके दुर्गण तट और कितनी ही पर्वतीय घाटियाँ देखी हैं। यहाँ बहुत-से ऐसे स्थल हैं, जहाँ सदा बर्फ जमी रहती है तथा जहाँ वृक्ष, पशु और पक्षियोंका नाम भी नहीं है
mahānadī-nitambāṁś ca gahanān giri-gahvarān | santi nitya-himā deśā nirvṛkṣa-mṛga-pakṣiṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “On this route we have seen the perilous banks of great rivers and many deep mountain ravines. There are regions here where snow lies perpetually—places so desolate that there are no trees, and not even the presence of beasts or birds.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores endurance and resolve in the face of harsh, life-denying terrain—an implicit reminder that significant aims (dharma-driven quests or missions) often require passing through danger, scarcity, and isolation without losing steadiness.
Vaiśampāyana describes the route being traversed: dangerous riverbanks, deep mountain gorges, and perpetually snowbound, barren regions devoid of trees and even animals or birds—emphasizing the severity of the journey.