Shloka 19

Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam

Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants

Devanagari script

रहस्यां शतकुम्भां च सरयूं च तथैव च । चर्मण्वतीं वेत्रवर्ती हस्तिसोमां दिशं तथा,गोमती, धूतपापा, महानदी वन्दना, कौशिकी, त्रिदिवा, कृत्या, निचिता, लोहितारणी, रहस्या, शतकुम्भा, सरयू, चर्मण्वती, वेत्रवती, हस्तिसोमा, दिकू, शरावती, पयोष्णी, वेणा, भीमरथी, कावेरी, चुलुका, वाणी और शतबला

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

rahasyāṃ śatakumbhāṃ ca sarayūṃ ca tathaiva ca |

carmaṇvatīṃ vetravatīṃ hastisomāṃ diśaṃ tathā |

gomatīṃ dhūtapāpāṃ mahānadīṃ vandanāṃ kauśikīṃ tridivāṃ |

kṛtyāṃ nicitāṃ lohitāraṇīṃ rahasyāṃ śatakumbhāṃ sarayūṃ |

carmaṇvatīṃ vetravatīṃ hastisomāṃ dikūṃ śarāvatīṃ |

payoṣṇīṃ veṇāṃ bhīmarathīṃ kāverīṃ culukāṃ vāṇīṃ śatabalāṃ ca ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Rồi ông lần lượt kể tên nhiều sông thiêng và dòng suối—Rahasya, Śatakumbhā, Sarayū, Carmaṇvatī, Vetravatī, Hastisomā, và còn nhiều nữa như Gomatī, Dhūtapāpā, Mahānadī, Vandanā, Kauśikī, Tridivā, Kṛtyā, Nicitā, Lohitāraṇī, Śarāvatī, Payoṣṇī, Veṇā, Bhīmarathī, Kāverī, Culukā, Vāṇī, và Śatabalā. Lời tụng danh gợi lên sự linh thiêng của xứ sở và năng lực thanh tẩy mà truyền thống gắn với những dòng nước ấy, đặt bên cạnh sức nặng đạo lý nghiêm trọng của cuộc chiến sắp tới.

Word by Word

रहस्याम्the river Rahasyā

शतकुम्भाम्the river Śatakumbhā

चand

सरयूम्the river Sarayū

चand

तथाlikewise

एवindeed/just

चand

चर्मण्वतीम्the river Carmanvatī (Chambal)

वेत्रवतीम्the river Vetravatī (Betwa)

हस्तिसोमाम्the river Hastisomā

दिशम्direction/quarter

तथाlikewise

गोमतीम्the river Gomati

धूतपापाम्Dhūtapāpā (she whose sins are washed away)

महानदीम्Mahānadī (the great river)

वन्दनाम्the river Vandanā

कौशिकीम्the river Kauśikī

त्रिदिवाम्the river Tridivā

कृत्याम्the river Kṛtyā

निचिताम्the river Nicitā

लोहितारणीम्Lohitāraṇī (the red river)

रहस्याRahasyā

शतकुम्भाŚatakumbhā

सरयूSarayū

चर्मण्वतीCarmanvatī

वेत्रवतीVetravatī

हस्तिसोमाHastisomā

दिक्direction/quarter

शरावतीthe river Śarāvatī

पयोष्णीthe river Payoṣṇī

वेणाthe river Veṇā

भीमरथीthe river Bhīmarathī

कावेरीthe river Kāverī

चुलुकाthe river Culukā

वाणीthe river Vāṇī

शतबलाthe river Śatabalā

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Rahasya (river)

Śatakumbhā (river)

Sarayū (river)

Carmaṇvatī (river)

Vetravatī (river)

Hastisomā (river)

Gomatī (river)

Dhūtapāpā (river)

Mahānadī (river)

Vandanā (river)

Kauśikī (river)

Tridivā (river)

Kṛtyā (river)

Nicitā (river)

Lohitāraṇī (river)

Dikū (river/variant reading)

Śarāvatī (river)

Payoṣṇī (river)

Veṇā (river)

Bhīmarathī (river)

Kāverī (river)

Culukā (river)

Vāṇī (river)

Śatabalā (river)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

By invoking a wide network of sacred rivers, the passage underscores the idea of purification and the moral memory of the land—suggesting that even amid impending violence, dharma is measured against enduring sacred and ethical ideals.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a formal recitation of river-names (a catalogue of tīrthas/sacred waters). Such lists commonly function as a ritual-geographical frame, situating the events of the war within the sanctified landscape of Bhārata.