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Shloka 14

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

मांसौदनं दधि क्षीरं पायसं मधुसर्पिषी । वैश्यके बालक उस कौएको सदा मांस, भात, दही, दूध, खीर, मधु और घी आदि दिया करते थे ।। १३ ह || सचोच्छिष्टभूत: काको वैश्यपुत्रै: कुमारकै:

māṃsaudanaṃ dadhi kṣīraṃ pāyasaṃ madhusarpiṣī | satocchiṣṭabhūtaḥ kāko vaiśyaputraiḥ kumārakaiḥ ||

قال سنجيا: كان أبناءُ الفيشيا الصغار يطعمون الغراب على الدوام لحمًا وأرزًّا مطبوخًا، ولبنًا رائبًا، وحليبًا، وأرزًّا بالحليب الحلو (بايَسَ)، وعسلًا وسمنًا مُصفّى (غِي)، حتى غدا الطائر كأنه يعيش على فضلات موائدهم. وتُبرز هذه الحكاية كيف أن الدلال المألوف والقوت السهل قد يُنشئان الاعتماد ويُبلّدان كابح الفطرة—وهو تقابلٌ أخلاقيٌّ كثيرًا ما يُستحضر في سياق السرد الحربي الأكبر حين يتأمل السلوك وعواقبه.

मांसौदनम्meat-rice (rice with meat)
मांसौदनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमांस-ओदन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
दधिcurd/yogurt
दधि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदधि
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
क्षीरम्milk
क्षीरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootक्षीर
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पायसम्rice-pudding (kheer)
पायसम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपायस
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
मधुhoney
मधु:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमधु
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
सर्पिषीghee (clarified butter) (dual form used in listing)
सर्पिषी:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसर्पिस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Dual
सचोच्छिष्टभूतःhaving become (one) with leftovers; living on remnants
सचोच्छिष्टभूतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस-उच्छिष्ट-भूत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
काकःthe crow
काकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकाक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वैश्यपुत्रैःby the sons of a vaiśya (merchant)
वैश्यपुत्रैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootवैश्य-पुत्र
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
कुमारकैःby the boys/young lads
कुमारकैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकुमारक
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
C
crow (kāka)
V
vaiśya boys (vaiśyaputrāḥ kumārakāḥ)
F
food offerings: meat, rice, curd, milk, pāyasa, honey, ghee

Educational Q&A

The verse uses a simple image—boys repeatedly feeding a crow rich foods—to suggest how repeated indulgence and dependence on easy gains can shape behavior and weaken restraint, a moral lens often applied to human choices in the epic.

Sanjaya describes a crow that is regularly fed by young vaiśya boys with various rich foods (meat, rice, dairy, sweets, honey, ghee), portraying the bird as living on their continual leavings.