Shloka 27

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

उपेन्द्रां बहुलां चैव कुवीरामम्बुवाहिनीम्‌ । विनदीं पिज्जलां वेणां तुज़वेणां महानदीम्‌,सदाकान्ता, शिवा, वीरमती, वस्त्रा, सुवस्त्रा, गौरी, कम्पना, हिरण्वती, वरा, वीरकरा, महानदी पंचमी, रथचित्रा, ज्योतिरथा, विश्वामित्रा, कपिंजला, उपेन्द्रा, बहुला, कुवीरा, अम्बुवाहिनी, विनदी, पिंजला, वेणा, महानदी तुंगवेणा, विदिशा, कृष्णवेणा, ताम्रा, कपिला, खलु, सुवामा, वेदाश्वा, हरिश्रावा, महापगा, शीघ्रा, पिच्छिला, भारद्वाजी नदी, कौशिकी नदी, शोणा, बाहुदा, चन्द्रमा, दुर्गा, चित्रशिला, ब्रह्मवेध्या, बृहद्वती, यवक्षा, रोही तथा जाम्बूनदी

Transliteration

upendrāṁ bahulāṁ caiva kuvīrām ambuvāhinīm | vinadīṁ piñjalāṁ veṇāṁ tuṅgaveṇāṁ mahānadīm ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “(In that region) there are also the rivers Upendrā, Bahulā, Kuvīrā, Ambuvāhinī, Vinadī, Piñjalā, Veṇā, and the great river Tuṅgaveṇā.” In the wider catalogue of this passage, many other rivers are likewise named, underscoring the vastness and sanctity of the land whose waters sustain life even as the Kurukṣetra war approaches.

Word by Word

उपेन्द्राम्Upendrā (river-name)

बहुलाम्Bahulā (river-name)

चand

एवindeed/also

कुवीराम्Kuvīrā (river-name)

अम्बुवाहिनीम्Ambuvāhinī (water-bearing; river-name)

विनदीम्Vinadī (river-name)

पिज्जलाम्Pijjalā (variant/possibly for Piṅjalā; river-name)

वेणाम्Veṇā (river-name)

तुंगवेणाम्Tuṅgaveṇā (the lofty/strong Veṇā; river-name)

महानदीम्Mahānadī (great river; river-name)

सदाकान्ताम्Sadākāntā (ever-lovely; river-name)

शिवाम्Śivā (auspicious; river-name)

वीरमतीम्Vīramatī (having heroic spirit; river-name)

वस्त्राम्Vastrā (river-name)

सुवस्त्राम्Suvāstrā (excellent Vastrā; river-name)

गौरीम्Gaurī (river-name)

कम्पनाम्Kampanā (trembling; river-name)

हिरण्वतीम्Hiraṇvatī (golden; river-name)

वराम्Varā (excellent; river-name)

वीरकराम्Vīrakarā (making heroes; river-name)

महानदीम्Mahānadī (great river; river-name)

पञ्चमीम्Pañcamī (the fifth; river-name)

रथचित्राम्Rathacitrā (chariot-adorned; river-name)

ज्योतिरथाम्Jyotirathā (light-chariot; river-name)

विश्वामित्राम्Viśvāmitrā (river-name)

कपिंजलाम्Kapiñjalā (river-name)

उपेन्द्राम्Upendrā (river-name)

बहुलाम्Bahulā (river-name)

कुवीराम्Kuvīrā (river-name)

अम्बुवाहिनीम्Ambuvāhinī (river-name)

विनदीम्Vinadī (river-name)

पिंजलाम्Piṅjalā (tawny; river-name)

वेणाम्Veṇā (river-name)

महानदीम्Mahānadī (river-name)

तुंगवेणाम्Tuṅgaveṇā (river-name)

विदिशाम्Vidiśā (river-name)

कृष्णवेणाम्Kṛṣṇaveṇā (black Veṇā; river-name)

ताम्राम्Tāmrā (coppery; river-name)

कपिलाम्Kapilā (tawny; river-name)

खलुindeed/for sure

सुवामाम्Suvāmā (very beautiful; river-name)

वेदाश्वाम्Vedāśvā (river-name)

हरिश्रावाम्Hariśrāvā (river-name)

महापगाम्Mahāpagā (great river; river-name)

शीघ्राम्Śīghrā (swift; river-name)

पिच्छिलाम्Picchilā (slimy/muddy; river-name)

भारद्वाजीम्Bhāradvājī (connected with Bharadvāja; river-name/epithet)

कौशिकीम्Kauśikī (river-name)

शोणाम्Śoṇā (river-name)

बाहुदाम्Bāhudā (river-name)

चन्द्रमाम्Candramā (moon; here as a name)

दुर्गाम्Durgā (river-name)

चित्रशिलाम्Citraśilā (variegated-rock; river-name)

ब्रह्मवेध्याम्Brahmavedhyā (pierced/marked by Brahman; river-name)

बृहद्वतीम्Bṛhadvātī (very large; river-name)

यवक्षाम्Yavakṣā (river-name)

रोहीम्Rohī (river-name)

तथाand also/likewise

जाम्बूनदीम्Jāmbūnadī (Jambu-river; river-name)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Upendrā (river)

Bahulā (river)

Kuvīrā (river)

Ambuvāhinī (river)

Vinadī (river)

Piñjalā (river)

Veṇā (river)

Tuṅgaveṇā (river)

Mahānadī (great river/river name)

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 participates in a sacred-geographical catalogue: naming rivers highlights the land’s life-sustaining and purifying powers, reminding listeners that dharma is rooted not only in abstract rules but also in the ordered world—places, waters, and traditions that support righteous living even amid impending war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing regions and waterways connected with the broader Kurukṣetra setting. This section lists rivers one after another, situating the audience in a vast, culturally charged landscape as the epic’s central conflict unfolds.