Shloka 22

Devanagari script

गोदावरी च वेण्या च कृष्णवेणा तथाद्रिजा । दृषद्वती च कावेरी चक्षुर्मन्दाकिनी तथा

Transliteration

godāvarī ca veṇyā ca kṛṣṇaveṇā tathādrijā | dṛṣadvatī ca kāverī cakṣur mandākinī tathā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma meneruskan litani suci tentang sungai-sungai keramat—Godāvarī, Veṇyā, Kṛṣṇaveṇā, Adrījā, Dṛṣadvatī, Kāverī, Cakṣu, dan Mandākinī. Dalam petikan yang lebih luas, penyebutan nama-nama ini berfungsi sebagai seruan perlindungan: dengan mengingati serta memuliakan para dewa, resi, tempat-tempat suci, dan khususnya tīrtha (air ziarah), seseorang menyelaraskan diri dengan dharma serta memohon penyucian dan penjagaan. Nada etiknya menegaskan bahawa ingatan penuh hormat (smaraṇa) dan kerendahan hati di hadapan yang suci menyokong pengendalian diri, pahala, dan kesejahteraan.

Word by Word

• गोदावरी: the river Godāvarī
• गोदावरी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोदावरी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वेण्या: the river Veṇyā
• वेण्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेण्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कृष्णवेणा: the river Kṛṣṇa-veṇā (dark Veṇā / Kṛṣṇaveṇā)
• कृष्णवेणा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णवेणा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अद्रिजा: the river Adrījā (mountain-born)
• अद्रिजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रिजा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दृषद्वती: the river Dṛṣadvatī
• दृषद्वती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृषद्वती
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कावेरी: the river Kāverī
• कावेरी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कावेरी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• चक्षुः: the river Cakṣu (Cakṣuḥ)
• चक्षुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मन्दाकिनी: the river Mandākinī
• मन्दाकिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्दाकिनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Godāvarī River
• Veṇyā River
• Kṛṣṇaveṇā River
• Adrījā River
• Dṛṣadvatī River
• Kāverī River
• Cakṣu River
• Mandākinī River

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse participates in a dharmic practice of sacred remembrance: naming revered rivers and tīrthas is presented as purifying and protective. Ethically, it reinforces humility, gratitude, and alignment with dharma through honoring what sustains life and spiritual merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is reciting an extended catalogue of revered beings and holy places. This particular verse continues the enumeration by listing several sacred rivers, as part of a broader protective/purificatory invocation.