Shloka 29
Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam
Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants
शीघ्रां च पिच्छिलां चैव भारद्वाजीं च निम्नगाम् | कौशिकीं निम्नगां शोणां बाहुदामथ चन्द्रमाम्,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
sañjaya uvāca | śīghrāṃ ca picchilāṃ caiva bhāradvājīṃ ca nimnagām | kauśikīṃ nimnagāṃ śoṇāṃ bāhudām atha candramām | sadākāntāṃ śivāṃ vīramatīṃ vastrāṃ suvastrāṃ gaurīṃ kampanāṃ hiraṇvatīṃ varāṃ vīrakarāṃ mahānadīṃ pañcamīṃ rathacitrāṃ jyotirathāṃ viśvāmitrāṃ kapiñjalāṃ upendrāṃ bahulāṃ kuvīrāṃ ambuvāhinīṃ vinadīṃ piṅjalāṃ veṇāṃ mahānadīṃ tuṅgaveṇāṃ vidiśāṃ kṛṣṇaveṇāṃ tāmrāṃ kapilāṃ khalu suvāmāṃ vedāśvāṃ hariśrāvāṃ mahāpagāṃ śīghrāṃ picchilāṃ bhāradvājīṃ nadīṃ kauśikīṃ nadīṃ śoṇāṃ bāhudāṃ candramāṃ durgāṃ citraśilāṃ brahmavedhyāṃ bṛhadvātīṃ yavakṣāṃ rohīṃ tathā jāmbūnadīm
Sanjaya said: He (the narrator) then named many rivers—swift-flowing and slippery-banked streams, the Bharadvājī, the low-running Kauśikī, the Śoṇā, the Bāhudā, and the Candramā; and likewise Sadākāntā, Śivā, Vīramatī, Vastrā, Suvastrā, Gaurī, Kampanā, Hiraṇvatī, Varā, Vīrakarā, the great river Mahānadī, Pañcamī, Rathacitrā, Jyotirathā, Viśvāmitrā, Kapiñjalā, Upendrā, Bahulā, Kuvīrā, Ambuvāhinī, Vinadī, Piṅjalā, Veṇā, Tuṅgaveṇā, Vidiśā, Kṛṣṇaveṇā, Tāmrā, Kapilā, Suvāmā, Vedāśvā, Hariśrāvā, Mahāpagā, and others—thus invoking a vast geography of sacred waters. In the epic’s ethical frame, such catalogues underscore the sanctity of the land and the cosmic witness of nature to human action, especially as war approaches.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as a sacred-geographical catalogue: by naming many rivers, the epic frames the land itself as sanctified and as a moral witness. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical atmosphere, nature—especially tīrthas and rivers—stands as a reminder that human choices in war are made under the gaze of dharma and the wider cosmos.
Sanjaya is reciting a long list of rivers (nimnagāḥ), effectively mapping the terrain and invoking well-known waters. Such enumerations commonly appear as part of describing regions, movements, or the vast setting in which the Kurukṣetra conflict unfolds.