Shloka 37
Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam
Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants
भारत! सदा निरामया, कृष्णा, मन्दगा, मन्दवाहिनी, ब्राह्मणी, महागौरी, दुर्गा, चित्रोत्पला, चित्ररथा, मंजुला, वाहिनी, मन्दाकिनी, वैतरणी, महानदी कोषा, शुक्तिमती, अनंगा, वृषा, लोहित्या, करतोया, वृषका, कुमारी, ऋषिकुल्या, मारिषा, सरस्वती, मन्दाकिनी, सुपुण्या, सर्वा तथा गंगा, भारत! इन नदियोंके जल भारतवासी पीते हैं ।। ३३ ३५ || विश्वस्य मातर: सर्वा: सर्वाश्षेव महाफला: । तथा नद्यस्त्वप्रकाशा: शतशो5थ सहस्रश:,राजन! पूर्वोक्त सभी नदियाँ सम्पूर्ण विश्वकी माताएँ हैं, वे सब-की-सब महान पुण्य फल देनेवाली हैं। इनके सिवा सैकड़ों और हजारों ऐसी नदियाँ हैं, जो लोगोंके परिचयमें नहीं आयी हैं
sañjaya uvāca |
bhārata! sadā nirāmayā kṛṣṇā mandagā mandavāhinī brāhmaṇī mahāgaurī durgā citrotpalā citrarathā mañjulā vāhinī mandākinī vaitaraṇī mahānadī koṣā śuktimatī anaṅgā vṛṣā lohityā karatoyā vṛṣakā kumārī ṛṣikulyā māriṣā sarasvatī mandākinī supuṇyā sarvā tathā gaṅgā |
bhārata! in nadīnāṃ jalaṃ bhāratavāsinaḥ pibanti ||
viśvasya mātaraḥ sarvāḥ sarvāś caiva mahāphalāḥ |
tathā nadyas tv aprakāśāḥ śataśo ’tha sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)! The people of Bhārata drink the waters of these rivers—Nirāmayā, Kṛṣṇā, Mandagā, Mandavāhinī, Brāhmaṇī, Mahāgaurī, Durgā, Citrotpalā, Citrarathā, Mañjulā, Vāhinī, Mandākinī, Vaitaraṇī, Mahānadī, Koṣā, Śuktimatī, Anaṅgā, Vṛṣā, Lohityā, Karatoyā, Vṛṣakā, Kumārī, Ṛṣikulyā, Māriṣā, Sarasvatī, Mandākinī, Supuṇyā, Sarvā, and also the Gaṅgā. All these rivers are, as it were, mothers of the whole world, and each bestows great merit. And besides these, O King, there are hundreds and thousands of other rivers not widely known among people.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames rivers as ‘mothers of the world’—life-giving and spiritually meritorious—highlighting gratitude toward nature and the dharmic idea that sustaining waters are worthy of reverence and remembrance.
Sañjaya, speaking to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, enumerates many rivers of Bhārata whose waters people drink, then adds that these are all highly merit-bestowing and that countless other lesser-known rivers also exist.