Shloka 30

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

दुर्गां चित्रशिलां चैव ब्रह्म॒वेध्यां बृहद्वतीम्‌ । यवक्षामथ रोहीं च तथा जाम्बूनदीमपि,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

durgāṃ citraśilāṃ caiva brahmavedhyāṃ bṛhadvātīm | yavakṣām atha rohīṃ ca tathā jāmbūnadīm api | sadākāntā śivā vīramatī vastrā suvastrā gaurī kampanā hiraṇvatī varā vīrakarā mahānadī pañcamī rathacitrā jyotirathā viśvāmitrā kapiñjalā upendrā bahulā kuvīrā ambuvāhinī vinadī piṅjalā veṇā mahānadī tuṅgaveṇā vidiśā kṛṣṇaveṇā tāmrā kapilā khalu suvāmā vedāśvā hariśrāvā mahāpagā śīghrā picchilā bhāradvājī nadī kauśikī nadī śoṇā bāhudā candramā durgā citraśilā brahmavedhyā bṛhadvātī yavakṣā rohī tathā jāmbūnadī

Translation

Sañjaya said: “(Bhīṣma) also spoke of many formidable rivers and streams—Durgā, Citraśilā, Brahmavedhyā, Bṛhadvātī, Yavakṣā, Rohī, and Jāmbūnadī; and likewise Sadākāntā, Śivā, Vīramatī, Vastrā, Suvastrā, Gaurī, Kampanā, Hiraṇvatī, Varā, Vīrakarā, Mahānadī, Pañcamī, Rathacitrā, Jyotirathā, Viśvāmitrā, Kapiñjalā, Upendrā, Bahulā, Kuvīrā, Ambuvāhinī, Vinadī, Piṅjalā, Veṇā, Tuṅgaveṇā, Vidiśā, Kṛṣṇaveṇā, Tāmrā, Kapilā, Suvāmā, Vedāśvā, Hariśrāvā, Mahāpagā, Śīghrā, Picchilā, Bhāradvājī, Kauśikī, Śoṇā, Bāhudā, and Candramā—names recited as part of the war-setting, mapping the land and invoking the vastness of Bhārata’s sacred geography.”

Word by Word

दुर्गाम्Durgā (river/name)

चित्रशिलाम्Citraśilā (variegated-rock; river/name)

चand

एवindeed/also

ब्रह्मवेध्याम्Brahmavedhyā (Brahman-to-be-pierced/struck; river/name)

बृहद्वतीम्Bṛhadvati (the great one; river/name)

यवक्षाम्Yavakṣā (river/name)

अथthen/and next

रोहीम्Rohī (river/name)

चand

तथाlikewise/also

जाम्बूनदीम्Jāmbūnadī (Jambu-gold river; river/name)

अपिalso/even

सदाकान्ताSadākāntā (ever-lovely; river/name)

शिवाŚivā (auspicious; river/name)

वीरमतीVīramatī (having heroes; river/name)

वस्त्राVastrā (river/name)

सुवस्त्राSuvāstrā (well-clad; river/name)

गौरीGaurī (fair; river/name)

कम्पनाKampanā (trembling; river/name)

हिरण्वतीHiraṇvatī (golden; river/name)

वराVarā (excellent; river/name)

वीरकराVīrakarā (hero-making; river/name)

महानदीMahānadī (great river; name)

पंचमीPañcamī (the fifth; river/name)

रथचित्राRathacitrā (chariot-variegated; river/name)

ज्योतिरथाJyotirathā (light-chariot; river/name)

विश्वामित्राViśvāmitrā (friend of all; river/name)

कपिंजलाKapiñjalā (river/name)

उपेन्द्राUpendrā (river/name)

बहुलाBahulā (abundant; river/name)

कुवीराKuvīrā (river/name)

अम्बुवाहिनीAmbuvāhinī (water-carrying; river/name)

विनदीVinadī (sounding; river/name)

पिंजलाPiñjalā (tawny; river/name)

वेणाVeṇā (river/name)

महानदीMahānadī (great river; name)

तुंगवेणाTuṅgaveṇā (lofty Veṇā; river/name)

विदिशाVidiśā (river/name)

कृष्णवेणाKṛṣṇaveṇā (dark Veṇā; river/name)

ताम्राTāmrā (coppery/red; river/name)

कपिलाKapilā (tawny; river/name)

खलुindeed/forsooth

सुवामाSuvāmā (beautiful; river/name)

वेदाश्वाVedāśvā (Veda-horsed; river/name)

हरिश्रावाHariśrāvā (having Hari-like sound/fame; river/name)

महापगाMahāpagā (great river; name)

शीघ्राŚīghrā (swift; river/name)

पिच्छिलाPicchilā (slimy; river/name)

भारद्वाजीBhāradvājī (connected with Bharadvāja; epithet)

नदीम्river

कौशिकीKauśikī (of Kuśika; epithet)

नदीम्river

शोणाम्Śoṇā (red; river/name)

बाहुदाम्Bāhudā (river/name)

चन्द्रमाम्Candramā (moon; here as a river/name)

दुर्गाम्Durgā (river/name)

चित्रशिलाम्Citraśilā (river/name)

ब्रह्मवेध्याम्Brahmavedhyā (river/name)

बृहद्वतीम्Bṛhadvati (river/name)

यवक्षाम्Yavakṣā (river/name)

रोहीम्Rohī (river/name)

तथाlikewise

जाम्बूनदीम्Jāmbūnadī (river/name)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Durgā (river name)

Citraśilā (river name)

Brahmavedhyā (river name)

Bṛhadvātī (river name)

Yavakṣā (river name)

Rohī (river name)

Jāmbūnadī (river name)

Sadākāntā (river name)

Śivā (river name)

Vīramatī (river name)

Vastrā (river name)

Suvastrā (river name)

Gaurī (river name)

Kampanā (river name)

Hiraṇvatī (river name)

Varā (river name)

Vīrakarā (river name)

Mahānadī (river name)

Pañcamī (river name)

Rathacitrā (river name)

Jyotirathā (river name)

Viśvāmitrā (river name)

Kapiñjalā (river name)

Upendrā (river name)

Bahulā (river name)

Kuvīrā (river name)

Ambuvāhinī (river name)

Vinadī (river name)

Piṅjalā (river name)

Veṇā (river name)

Tuṅgaveṇā (river name)

Vidiśā (river name)

Kṛṣṇaveṇā (river name)

Tāmrā (river name)

Kapilā (river name)

Suvāmā (river name)

Vedāśvā (river name)

Hariśrāvā (river name)

Mahāpagā (river name)

Śīghrā (river name)

Picchilā (river name)

Bhāradvājī (river name)

Kauśikī (river name)

Śoṇā (river name)

Bāhudā (river name)

Candramā (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 functions less as a moral injunction and more as an epic ‘geographical invocation’: by naming many rivers, it situates the Kurukṣetra war within the vast, sacred, and interconnected landscape of Bhārata, reminding the listener that the conflict unfolds under the witness of a larger dhārmic world.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a catalogue of river-names being recited (as part of the war-context description in Bhīṣma Parva). Such lists commonly serve to map regions, evoke sanctity, and convey the scale of the setting through well-known toponyms.