Shloka 46
Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam
Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants
अड्जा वड्भा: कलिज्ञाश्चन॒ यकूल्लोमान एव च । मल्ला: सुदेष्णा: प्रह्लादा माहिका: शशिकास्तथा
Aḍjā vaḍbhāḥ kalijñāś ca na yakūllomāna eva ca | mallāḥ sudeṣṇāḥ prahlādā māhikāḥ śaśikās tathā ||
Sañjaya said: “There were also the Aḍjas, the Vaḍbhas, the Kalijñas, the Yakūllomānas; likewise the Mallas, the Sudeṣṇas, the Prahlādas, the Māhikas, and the Śaśikas.” In this catalogue of peoples, the epic underscores how the war draws in many communities, suggesting the vast moral and social cost of a conflict that engulfs the whole world of the Bharatas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
By listing many distinct peoples joining the conflict, the verse highlights the expansive reach of adharma-driven war: it is not confined to a single royal house but pulls numerous communities into suffering, reminding the listener of the collective consequences of political ambition and hostility.
Sañjaya continues his report by enumerating additional groups present among the assembled forces, extending the catalogue of participants and emphasizing the breadth of the coalition involved in the Kurukṣetra war.