Shloka 11
Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam
Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants
महेन्द्री मलय: सहा: शुक्तिमानृक्षवानपि । विन्ध्यश्न पारियात्रश्न सप्तैते कुलपर्वता:,इस भारतवर्षमें महेन्द्र, मलय, सहा, शुक्तिमान, ऋक्षवान, विन्ध्य और पारियात्र--ये सात कुलपर्वत कहे गये हैं
mahendrī malayaḥ sahyaḥ śuktimān ṛkṣavān api | vindhyaś ca pāriyātraś ca saptaite kulaparvatāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In this land of Bhārata, these seven are known as the ‘kulaparvatas’—the ancestral or foundational mountain ranges: Mahendra, Malaya, Sahya, Śuktimān, Ṛkṣavān, Vindhya, and Pāriyātra. By naming them, the narrative situates the coming war within the sacred geography of the realm, reminding the listener that political conflict unfolds within an ordered world sustained by enduring natural and cultural foundations.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the idea of dhārmic order through sacred geography: the land of Bhārata is not merely political territory but a culturally sanctified space with enduring natural ‘pillars’ (kulaparvatas). This framing encourages the listener to view human actions—especially war and governance—against a larger, stabilizing cosmic and cultural backdrop.
Sañjaya is describing features of Bhārata-varṣa by listing the seven kulaparvatas (principal mountain ranges). This occurs as part of a broader geographical and contextual description that situates the Kurukṣetra conflict within the wider world of the epic.