Shloka 22

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

पूर्वाभिरामां वीरां च भीमामोघवतीं तथा । पाशाशिनीं पापहारां महेन्द्रां पाटलावतीम्‌,नरेश्वर! नीवारा, अहिता, सुप्रयोगा, पवित्रा, कुण्डली, सिन्धु, राजनी, पुरमालिनी, पूर्वाभिरामा, वीरा (नीरा), भीमा, ओघवती, पाशाशिनी, पापहरा, महेन्द्रा, पाटलावती, करीषिणी, असिक्नी, महानदी कुशचीरा, मकरी, प्रवरा, मेना, हेमा, घृतवती, पुरावती, अनुष्णा, शैब्या, कापी, सदानीरा, अधृष्या और महानदी कुशधारा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

pūrvābhirāmāṃ vīrāṃ ca bhīmām oghavatīṃ tathā |

pāśāśinīṃ pāpahārāṃ mahendrāṃ pāṭalāvatīm ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O lord of men, (there are rivers) named Pūrvābhirāmā, Vīrā, Bhīmā, and Oghavatī; likewise Pāśāśinī, Pāpahārā, Mahendrā, and Pāṭalāvatī.” In this catalogue, the landscape itself is invoked as a witness to the coming war—rivers that sustain life are remembered by name, underscoring how the impending conflict will touch the whole realm and its moral order.

Word by Word

पूर्वाभिरामाम्formerly-delightful/beautiful (river)

वीराम्Vīrā (name of a river)

चand

भीमाम्Bhīmā (name of a river)

ओघवतीम्Oghavatī (abounding in streams; river-name)

तथाlikewise/also

पाशाशिनीम्Pāśāśinī (river-name; 'snare-eating')

पापहाराम्Pāpaharā (sin-removing; river-name)

महेन्द्राम्Mahendrā (river-name; 'great Indra')

पाटलावतीम्Pāṭalāvatī (having pāṭalā trees; river-name)

नरेश्वरO lord of men (king)!

नीवाराNīvārā (river-name)

अहिताAhitā (river-name)

सुप्रयोगाSuprayogā (well-applied; river-name)

पवित्राPavitrā (purifying; river-name)

कुण्डलीKuṇḍalī (coiled; river-name)

सिन्धुSindhu (Indus river)

राजनीRājanī (river-name)

पुरमालिनीPuramālinī (garlanded with towns; river-name)

पूर्वाभिरामाPūrvābhirāmā (river-name)

वीराVīrā (river-name)

भीमाBhīmā (river-name)

ओघवतीOghavatī (river-name)

पाशाशिनीPāśāśinī (river-name)

पापहराPāpaharā (river-name)

महेन्द्राMahendrā (river-name)

पाटलावतीPāṭalāvatī (river-name)

करीषिणीKarīṣiṇī (river-name)

असिक्नीAsiknī (Chenab; river-name)

महानदीMahānadī (great river; river-name)

कुशचीराKuśacīrā (having kuśa-grass banks; river-name)

मकरीMakarī (river-name)

प्रवराPravarā (river-name)

मेनाMenā (river-name)

हेमाHemā (river-name)

घृतवतीGhṛtavatī (abounding in ghee; river-name)

पुरावतीPurāvatī (abounding in towns/ancient; river-name)

अनुष्णाAnuṣṇā (not hot/cool; river-name)

शैब्याŚaibyā (river-name)

कापीKāpī (river-name)

सदानीराSadānīrā (ever-watered; river-name)

अधृष्याAdhṛṣyā (unassailable; river-name)

चand

महानदीMahānadī (great river; river-name)

कुशधाराKuśadhārā (having kuśa-grass streams/banks; river-name)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pūrvābhirāmā (river)

Vīrā (river)

Bhīmā (river)

Oghavatī (river)

Pāśāśinī (river)

Pāpahārā (river)

Mahendrā (river)

Pāṭalāvatī (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?

Even in a war narrative, the text pauses to name rivers and regions, reminding the listener that dharma and adharma affect not only warriors but the entire land and its sustaining waters; the moral weight of conflict is borne by the whole kingdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues a catalogue-style description, listing rivers by name while reporting to the king; this functions as a geographic and cultural framing for the Kurukṣetra events, situating the war within a vast, inhabited landscape.