Shloka 23

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

करीषिणीमसिक्नीं च कुशचीरां महानदीम्‌ | मकरेीं प्रवरां मेनां हेमां घृतवतीं तथा,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 |

karīṣiṇīm asiknīṃ ca kuśacīrāṃ mahānadīm |

makarīṃ pravarāṃ menāṃ hemāṃ ghṛtavatīṃ tathā, nareśvara! |

nīvārā ahitā suprayogā pavitrā kuṇḍalī sindhu rajanī puramālinī pūrvābhirāmā vīrā (nīrā) bhīmā oghavatī pāśāśinī pāpaharā mahendrā pāṭalāvatī karīṣiṇī asiknī mahānadī kuśacīrā makarī pravarā menā hemā ghṛtavatī purāvatī anuṣṇā śaibyā kāpī sadānīrā adhṛṣyā ca mahānadī kuśadhārā

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O king, there are many renowned rivers—Karīṣiṇī, Asiknī, Kuśacīrā, Mahānadī, Makarī, Pravarā, Menā, Hemā, and Ghṛtavatī; likewise Nīvārā, Ahitā, Suprayogā, Pavitrā, Kuṇḍalī, Sindhu, Rajanī, Puramālinī, Pūrvābhirāmā, Vīrā (also called Nīrā), Bhīmā, Oghavatī, Pāśāśinī, Pāpaharā, Mahendrā, Pāṭalāvatī, Purāvatī, Anuṣṇā, Śaibyā, Kāpī, Sadānīrā, Adhṛṣyā, and the great river Kuśadhārā.” In the war narrative, this catalog of rivers functions as a sacred-geographical frame: the land of Bhārata is evoked through its life-giving waters, suggesting that the coming conflict unfolds upon a terrain held to be purifying and venerable, and that the king’s responsibility (rājadharma) extends over such sanctified realms.

Word by Word

करीषिणीम्Karīṣiṇī (river-name)

असिक्नीम्Asiknī (river-name)

चand

कुशचीराम्Kuśacīrā (river-name; lit. 'having kuśa-grass and bark/cloth')

महानदीम्Mahānadī (river-name; lit. 'great river')

मकरीम्Makarī (river-name)

प्रवराम्Pravarā (river-name; 'excellent')

मेनाम्Menā (river-name)

हेमाम्Hemā (river-name)

घृतवतीम्Ghṛtavatī (river-name; 'abounding in ghee')

तथाlikewise/also

नरेश्वरO lord of men (king)!

नीवाराNīvārā (river-name)

अहिताAhitā (river-name)

सुप्रयोगाSuprayogā (river-name; 'well-applied/beneficial')

पवित्राPavitrā (river-name; 'purifying')

कुण्डलीKuṇḍalī (river-name; 'coiled/looping')

सिन्धुSindhu (Indus; river-name)

राजनीRājanī (river-name)

पुरमालिनीPuramālinī (river-name; 'garlanded with towns')

पूर्वाभिरामाPūrvābhirāmā (river-name; 'formerly delightful/pleasing')

वीराVīrā (river-name; 'heroic/strong')

नीराNīrā (variant reading for Vīrā; river-name)

भीमाBhīmā (river-name; 'terrible')

ओघवतीOghavatī (river-name; 'full of torrents/streams')

पाशाशिनीPāśāśinī (river-name; 'devouring bonds/nooses' or 'stone-eating')

पापहराPāpaharā (river-name; 'sin-removing')

महेन्द्राMahendrā (river-name)

पाटलावतीPāṭalāvatī (river-name; 'having pāṭalā trees')

करीषिणीKarīṣiṇī (river-name)

असिक्नीAsiknī (river-name)

महानदीMahānadī (river-name)

कुशचीराKuśacīrā (river-name)

मकरीMakarī (river-name)

प्रवराPravarā (river-name)

मेनाMenā (river-name)

हेमाHemā (river-name)

घृतवतीGhṛtavatī (river-name)

पुरावतीPurāvatī (river-name)

अनुष्णाAnuṣṇā (river-name; 'not hot/cool')

शैब्याŚaibyā (river-name)

कापीKāpī (river-name)

सदानीराSadānīrā (river-name; 'ever-watered')

अधृष्याAdhṛṣyā (river-name; 'unassailable')

महानदीMahānadī (river-name)

कुशधाराKuśadhārā (river-name; 'bearing kuśa-grass')

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Nareśvara (the king, Dhṛtarāṣṭra by context)

Karīṣiṇī (river)

Asiknī (river)

Kuśacīrā (river)

Mahānadī (river)

Makarī (river)

Pravarā (river)

Menā (river)

Hemā (river)

Ghṛtavatī (river)

Nīvārā (river)

Ahitā (river)

Suprayogā (river)

Pavitrā (river)

Kuṇḍalī (river)

Sindhu/Indus (river)

Rajanī (river)

Puramālinī (river)

Pūrvābhirāmā (river)

Vīrā/Nīrā (river)

Bhīmā (river)

Oghavatī (river)

Pāśāśinī (river)

Pāpaharā (river)

Mahendrā (river)

Pāṭalāvatī (river)

Purāvatī (river)

Anuṣṇā (river)

Śaibyā (river)

Kāpī (river)

Sadānīrā (river)

Adhṛṣyā (river)

Kuśadhārā (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 primarily teaches through implication: the battlefield narrative is set within a sanctified and life-sustaining landscape. By invoking many rivers—often treated as purifying and venerable—it reminds the listener that royal power and warfare occur within a moral ecology, where the king’s duty includes protecting the land and its sacred resources.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing features of the land by listing celebrated rivers. This kind of catalog situates the Kurukṣetra war within the broader geography of Bhārata, expanding the scene from a single battlefield to the wider realm over which the conflict’s consequences will be felt.