Shloka 65
Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam
Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants
उत्तराश्चापरम्लेच्छा: क्रूरा भरतसत्तम । यवनाश्नीनकाम्बोजा दारुणा म्लेच्छजातय:
uttarāś cāparamlecchāḥ krūrā bharatasattama | yavanāś cīnakāmbojā dāruṇā mlecchajātayaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: “O best of the Bharatas, in the northern regions there are also the frontier ‘mleccha’ peoples—harsh in conduct. The Yavanas, the Cīnas, and the Kāmbojas are fierce, belonging to formidable non-Vedic tribes.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a political-geographical worldview: the epic distinguishes the Kuru-centered realm from frontier peoples labeled “mleccha,” emphasizing how kings and strategists must account for diverse regions and communities in assessing power, alliances, and threats.
Sanjaya continues a catalog-like description of peoples and regions, highlighting northern frontier groups—Yavanas, Cīnas, and Kāmbojas—characterized as fierce. This functions as part of a broader survey of the world around Bhārata in the lead-up to war-related narration.