Shloka 17

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

वेदस्मृतां वेदवतीं त्रिदिवामिक्षुलां कृमिम्‌ । करीषिणीं चित्रवाहां चित्रसेनां च निम्नगाम्‌,इनसे भिन्न और भी छोटे-छोटे अपरिचित पर्वत हैं, जो छोटे-छोटे प्राणियोंके जीवन- निर्वाहका आश्रय बने हुए हैं। प्रभो! कुरुनन्दन! इस भारतवर्षमें आर्य, म्लेच्छ तथा संकर जातिके मनुष्य निवास करते हैं। वे लोग यहाँकी जिन बड़ी-बड़ी नदियोंके जल पीते हैं, उनके नाम बताता हूँ, सुनिये। गंगा, सिन्धु, सरस्वती, गोदावरी, नर्मदा, बाहुदा, महानदी, शतद्गू, चन्द्रभागा, महानदी यमुना, दृषद्वती, विपाशा, विपापा, स्थूलबालुका, वेत्रवती, कृष्णवेणा, इरावती, वितस्ता, पयोष्पी, देविका, वेदस्मृता, वेदवती, त्रिदिवा, इक्षुला, कृमि, करीषिणी, चित्रवाहा तथा चित्रसेना नदी

Transliteration

vedasmṛtāṁ vedavatīṁ tridivām ikṣulāṁ kṛmim | karīṣiṇīṁ citravāhāṁ citrasenāṁ ca nimnagām ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “I shall also name the other rivers—Vedasmṛtā, Vedavatī, Tridivā, Ikṣulā, Kṛmi, Karīṣiṇī, Citravāhā, and the river Citraseṇā.” In this catalogue of the waters of Bhārata, the emphasis is on the land’s sacred geography: diverse peoples dwell here, sustained by these life-giving streams, which are remembered and honored by name.

Word by Word

वेदस्मृताम्Vedasṃṛtā (name of a river)

वेदवतीम्Vedavatī (name of a river)

त्रिदिवाम्Tridivā (name of a river)

इक्षुलाम्Ikṣulā (name of a river)

कृमिम्Kṛmi (name of a river)

करीषिणीम्Karīṣiṇī (name of a river)

चित्रवाहाम्Citravāhā (name of a river)

चित्रसेनाम्Citrasenā (name of a river)

चand

निम्नगाम्Nimnagā (name of a river; lit. 'down-going')

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Vedasmṛtā (river)

Vedavatī (river)

Tridivā (river)

Ikṣulā (river)

Kṛmi (river)

Karīṣiṇī (river)

Citravāhā (river)

Citrasenā (river)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reinforces the Mahābhārata’s vision of Bhārata as a sacred, sustaining landscape: rivers are not merely physical features but life-supporting and culturally remembered realities, worthy of being preserved in collective memory by naming them.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues a geographical catalogue, listing additional rivers of Bhārata-varṣa. This occurs within a broader descriptive passage that situates the Kurukṣetra narrative against the expanse of the land and its peoples.