Shloka 53

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

तिलभारा मसीराश्च मधुमन्त: सुकन्दका: । काश्मीरा: सिन्धुसौवीरा गान्धारा दर्शकास्तथा,पुण्ड्र, भर्ग, किरात, सुदृष्ट, यामुन, शक, निषाद, निषध, आनर्त, नैर#ऋत, दुर्गाल, प्रतिमत्स्य, कुन्तल, कोसल, तीरग्रह, शूरसेन, ईजिक, कन्यकागुण, तिलभार, मसीर, मधुमान, सुकन्दक, काश्मीर, सिन्धुसौवीर, गान्धार, दर्शक, अभीसार, उलूत, शैवाल, बाह्लिक, दार्वी, वानव, दर्व, वातज, आमरथ, उरग, बहुवाद्य, सुदाम, सुमल्लिक, वध्र, करीषक, कुलिन्द, उपत्यक, वनायु, दश, पार्श्वरोम, कुशबिन्दु, कच्छ, गोपालकक्ष, जांगल, कुरुवर्णक, किरात, बर्बर, सिद्ध, वैदेह, ताम्रलिप्तक, ओण्ड्, म्लेच्छ, सैसिरिध्र और पार्वतीय इत्यादि

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

tilabhārā masīrāś ca madhumantaḥ sukandakāḥ |

kāśmīrāḥ sindhusauvīrā gāndhārā darśakās tathā |

Translation

Sañjaya said: There were also the Tilabhāras, the Masīras, the Madhumantas, and the Sukandakas; likewise the Kāśmīras, the Sindhu-Sauvīras, the Gāndhāras, and the Darśakas. (In this passage Sañjaya continues the catalogue of peoples and regions gathered for the great war, underscoring how the conflict draws in many lands and communities, making the coming battle a pan-regional calamity rather than a private quarrel.)

Word by Word

तिलभारा:the Tilabhāras (a people/tribe)

मसीराःthe Masīras (a people/tribe)

चand

मधुमन्तःthe Madhumants (a people/tribe)

सुकन्दकाःthe Sukandakas (a people/tribe)

काश्मीराःthe Kashmiris

सिन्धुसौवीराःthe Sindhus and Sauvīras

गान्धाराःthe Gandhāras

दर्शकाःthe Darśakas (a people/tribe)

तथाalso/likewise

पुण्ड्राःthe Puṇḍras

भर्गाःthe Bhargas (a people/tribe)

किराताःthe Kirātas

सुदृष्टाःthe Sudṛṣṭas (a people/tribe)

यामुनाःthe Yāmunas (people of Yamunā region)

शकाःthe Śakas (Scythians)

निषादाःthe Niṣādas

निषधाःthe Niṣadhas (a people/region)

आनर्ताःthe Ānartas

नैरृताःthe Nairṛtas (southern/western people; of Nirṛti)

दुर्गालाःthe Durgālas (a people/tribe)

प्रतिमत्स्याःthe Prati-Matsyas (a Matsya-related people)

कुन्तलाःthe Kuntalas

कोसलाःthe Kosalas

तीरग्रहाःthe Tīragrahas (shore/ford-holders; a people)

शूरसेनाःthe Śūrasenas

ईजिकाःthe Ījikas (a people/tribe)

कन्यकागुणाःthe Kanyakāguṇas (a people/tribe)

अभीसाराःthe Abhīsāras

उलूताःthe Ulūtas (a people/tribe)

शैवालाःthe Śaivālas (a people/tribe)

बाह्लिकाःthe Bāhlikas (Bactrians)

दार्व्याःthe Dārvyas (a people/tribe)

वानवाःthe Vānavas (a people/tribe)

दर्वाःthe Darvas (a people/tribe)

वातजाःthe Vātajas (a people/tribe)

आमरथाःthe Āmarathas (a people/tribe)

उरगाःthe Uragas (a people/tribe; lit. 'serpents')

बहुवाद्याःthose having many musical instruments (a people/tribe)

सुदामाःthe Sudāmas (a people/tribe)

सुमल्लिकाःthe Sumallikas (a people/tribe)

वध्राःthe Vadhras (a people/tribe)

करीषकाःthe Karīṣakas (a people/tribe)

कुलिन्दाःthe Kulindas

उपत्यकाःthe Upatyakās (valley-dwellers/valleys; as a group-name)

वनायवःthe Vanāyus (forest-dwellers; a people/tribe)

दशाःthe Daśas (fisherfolk/boatmen; a people)

पार्श्वरोमाःthe Pārśvaromas (a people/tribe; lit. 'side-haired')

कुशबिन्दवःthe Kuśabindus

कच्छाःthe Kacchas (Kutch people/region)

गोपालकक्षाःthe Gopālakakṣas (a people/tribe)

जाङ्गलाःthe Jāṅgalas (people of arid tract)

कुरुवर्णकाःthe Kurūvarṇakas (a people/tribe)

बर्बराःthe Barbaras

सिद्धाःthe Siddhas (perfected beings/people)

वैदेहाःthe Vaidehas

ताम्रलिप्तकाःthe Tāmraliptakas (people of Tāmraliptā)

ओण्डाःthe Oṇḍas (a people/tribe)

म्लेच्छाःthe Mlecchas (foreign/uncultured peoples)

सैसिरिध्राःthe Saisiridhras (a people/tribe)

पार्वतीयाःthe mountain-dwellers

इत्यादिand so on

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Tilabhāras

Masīras

Madhumantas

Sukandakas

Kāśmīra

Sindhu

Sauvīra

Gāndhāra

Darśakas

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 maxim and more as an ethical warning by implication: when rulers choose war, its burden spreads far beyond the original dispute, pulling many peoples into suffering and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a list of the various peoples/regions present in the war assemblage, naming groups such as the Kāśmīras, Sindhu-Sauvīras, and Gāndhāras among others.