Shloka 12
कृपकृपी-जननम्
The Birth of Kṛpa and Kṛpī; Kṛpa’s Attainment of Astras
महानदीनितम्बांश्न गहनान् गिरिगह्दरान् । सन्ति नित्यहिमा देशा निर्वक्षमृगपक्षिण:
mahānadī-nitambāṁś ca gahanān giri-gahvarān | santi nitya-himā deśā nirvṛkṣa-mṛga-pakṣiṇaḥ ||
वैशम्पायन उवाच—अस्मिन् मार्गे वयं महानदीनां दुर्गतान् तटान् गहनांश्च गिरिगह्वरान् ददृशिम। अत्र नित्यहिमाः केचन देशाः सन्ति, येषु वृक्षाणां नामापि नास्ति, मृगपक्षिणां चापि न दर्शनम्।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores endurance and resolve in the face of harsh, life-denying terrain—an implicit reminder that significant aims (dharma-driven quests or missions) often require passing through danger, scarcity, and isolation without losing steadiness.
Vaiśampāyana describes the route being traversed: dangerous riverbanks, deep mountain gorges, and perpetually snowbound, barren regions devoid of trees and even animals or birds—emphasizing the severity of the journey.