Shloka 42

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

गोधामद्रकलिड्राशक्ष काशयो5परकाशय: । जठरा: कुक्कुराश्चैव सदशार्णाश्व भारत

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

godhā-madraka-liṅgāś ca kāśayo 'parakāśayaḥ |

jaṭharāḥ kukkurāś caiva daśārṇāś ca bhārata ||

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲਿਆ—ਹੇ ਭਾਰਤ (ਧ੍ਰਿਤਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ)! ਗੋਧਾ, ਮਦ੍ਰਕ ਅਤੇ ਕਲਿੰਗ; ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਅਤੇ ਅਪਰਕਾਸ਼ੀ; ਜਠਰ ਅਤੇ ਕੁੱਕੁਰ; ਅਤੇ ਦਸ਼ਾਰ੍ਣ ਵੀ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

• गोधाः: the Godhā people (a tribe/region-name)
• गोधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोधा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• मद्रकलिङ्गाः: the Madras and the Kalingas
• मद्रकलिङ्गाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्रकलिङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राष्ट्रकाः: the Rāṣṭrakas (a people)
• राष्ट्रकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्रक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• काशयः: the Kāśayas (a people)
• काशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपरकाशयः: the Apara-Kāśayas (western/other Kāśayas)
• अपरकाशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपरकाशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जठराः: the Jaṭharas (a people)
• जठराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुक्कुराः: the Kukkurās (a people)
• कुक्कुराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्कुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सदशार्णाः: the Sa-Daśārṇas (Daśārṇas together with/allied with others; a named group)
• सदशार्णाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स-दशार्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as Bhārata)
• Godhā (people/region)
• Madraka/Madra (people/region)
• Kaliṅga (people/region)
• Kāśī/Kāśa (people/region)
• Aparakāśī (people/region)
• Jaṭhara (people/region)
• Kukkura (people/region)
• Daśārṇa (people/region)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This verse is part of a war-catalogue rather than a direct moral injunction; its ethical force lies in showing the war’s vast reach—many peoples and regions are implicated—highlighting the collective burden and societal cost when rulers choose large-scale conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya continues reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the composition of the assembled forces at Kurukṣetra, listing additional peoples/kingdoms present among the combatants.