Shloka 24

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

पुरावतीमनुष्णां च शैब्यां कापीं च भारत । सदानीरामधृष्यां च कुशधारां महानदीम्‌,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 | purāvatīm anuṣṇāṃ ca śaibyāṃ kāpīṃ ca bhārata | sadānīrām adhṛṣyāṃ ca kuśadhārāṃ mahānadīm | naraśvara! 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 Bhārata, O lord of men, he then named the rivers—Purāvatī, Anuṣṇā, Śaibyā, and Kāpī; also Sadānīrā, the unconquerable (Adhṛṣyā), and the great river Kuśadhārā. He further recounted many sacred streams—Nīvārā, Ahitā, Suprayogā, Pavitrā, Kuṇḍalī, Sindhu, Rajanī, Puramālinī, Pūrvābhirāmā, Vīrā (also called Nīrā), Bhīmā, Oghavatī, Pāśāśinī, Pāpaharā, Mahendrā, Pāṭalāvatī, Karīṣiṇī, Asiknī, the great river Kuśacīrā, Makarī, Pravarā, Menā, Hemā, Ghṛtavatī—again Purāvatī, Anuṣṇā, Śaibyā, Kāpī, Sadānīrā, Adhṛṣyā, and the great Kuśadhārā. The passage underscores the vastness of the land and the sanctity of its waters, invoked as witnesses and supports of righteous order amid the coming war.

Word by Word

पुरावतीम्Purāvatī (river name)

अनुष्णाम्Anuṣṇā (river name)

चand

शैब्याम्Śaibyā (river name)

कापीम्Kāpī (river name)

चand

भारतO Bhārata

सदानीराम्Sadanīrā (ever-flowing river; river name)

अधृष्याम्Adhṛṣyā (river name; 'unassailable')

चand

कुशधाराम्Kuśadhārā (river name; 'having kuśa-grass banks/stream')

महानदीम्Mahānadī (river name; 'great river')

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/curving')

सिन्धुSindhu (Indus; river name)

रजनीRajanī (river name)

पुरमालिनीPuramālinī (river name; 'garlanded with towns')

पूर्वाभिरामाPūrvābhirāmā (river name; 'formerly delightful/beautiful')

वीराVīrā (river name)

नीराNīrā (river name)

भीमाBhīmā (river name; 'terrible')

ओघवतीOghavatī (river name; 'abounding in floods/streams')

पाशाशिनीPāśāśinī (river name; 'devouring nooses/bonds' i.e., freeing from bonds)

पापहराPāpaharā (river name; 'sin-removing')

महेन्द्राMahendrā (river name)

पाटलावतीPāṭalāvatī (river name; 'having pāṭalā trees')

करीषिणीKarīṣiṇī (river name)

असिक्नीAsiknī (Chenab; river name)

महानदीMahānadī (river name)

कुशचीराKuśacīrā (river name; 'with kuśa-grass garments/banks')

मकरीMakarī (river name; 'abounding in makaras')

प्रवराPravarā (river name; 'excellent')

मेनाMenā (river name)

हेमाHemā (river name)

घृतवतीGhṛtavatī (river name; 'abounding in ghee' i.e., rich)

पुरावतीPurāvatī (river name)

अनुष्णाAnuṣṇā (river name)

शैब्याŚaibyā (river name)

कापीKāpī (river name)

सदानीराSadanīrā (river name)

अधृष्याAdhṛṣyā (river name)

महानदीMahānadī (river name)

कुशधाराKuśadhārā (river name)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

Purāvatī (river)

Anuṣṇā (river)

Śaibyā (river)

Kāpī (river)

Sadānīrā (river)

Adhṛṣyā (river)

Kuśadhārā (great 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)

Karīṣiṇī (river)

Asiknī (river)

Kuśacīrā (river)

Makarī (river)

Pravarā (river)

Menā (river)

Hemā (river)

Ghṛtavatī (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?

By invoking and enumerating rivers—many bearing names like ‘Pavitrā’ (purifying) and ‘Pāpaharā’ (sin-removing)—the text frames the land as morally charged and sacred. Nature is not mere scenery: it is a witness to human action, reminding rulers that warfare and policy must remain accountable to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues a descriptive catalogue, listing numerous rivers and great streams associated with the region and the wider Bhārata landscape. This geographic roll-call situates the impending Kurukṣetra conflict within a vast, sanctified world and conveys the scale of the forces and territories involved.