Shloka 39

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

तत्रेमे कुरुपाउचाला: शाल्वा माद्रेयजाड्रला: । शूरसेना: पुलिन्दाश्न बोधा मालास्तथैव च

Transliteration

tatreme kurupāñcālāḥ śālvā mādreya-jāṅgalāḥ | śūrasenāḥ pulindāś ca bodhā mālāstathaiva ca ||

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവിടെ (ആ യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ) കുരുക്കളും പാഞ്ചാലരും, ശാൽവരും, മാദ്രേയരും ജാങ്ഗലരും; ശൂരസേനരും; അതുപോലെ പുലിന്ദരും ബോധരും മാലരും (തങ്ങളുടെ തങ്ങളുടെ സൈന്യങ്ങളോടെ) ഒന്നിച്ചുകൂടിയിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: Avyaya

• इमे: these
• इमे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• कुरवः: the Kurus
• कुरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• पाञ्चालाः: the Panchalas
• पाञ्चालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• शाल्वाः: the Shalvas
• शाल्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्व
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• माद्रेयाः: the Madreyas (people of Madra)
• माद्रेयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: माद्रेय
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• जाड्रलाः: the Jadrilas/Jangalas (tribe-name; reading uncertain)
• जाड्रलाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाड्रल
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• शूरसेनाः: the Shurasenas
• शूरसेनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूरसेन
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• पुलिन्दाः: the Pulindas
• पुलिन्दाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलिन्द
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• च: and
• च: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya

• बोधाः: the Bodhas (tribe-name)
• बोधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बोध
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• मालाः: the Malas (tribe-name)
• मालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल
• Form: Masculine, nominative, plural

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा
• Form: Avyaya

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: Avyaya

• च: and
• च: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kuru
• Pāñcāla
• Śālva
• Mādra
• Jāṅgala
• Śūrasena
• Pulinda
• Bodha
• Māla
• Kurukṣetra (implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the war’s comprehensive reach: not only individual heroes but entire peoples are implicated. Ethically, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that political ambition and unresolved injustice can draw whole societies into suffering, making the consequences communal rather than merely personal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the composition of the assembled forces at Kurukṣetra. He enumerates various kingdoms and tribes present, continuing a catalogue that conveys the immense scale and diversity of the armies gathered for battle.