Shloka 8
खाण्डवदाहोत्तर-वरप्रदानम्
Boons after the Khāṇḍava Burning
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणा विचेष्टन्तो महीतले । तत्र तत्र सम दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्त: शरीरिण:,कितने ही पक्षी पाँख, आँख और पंजोंके जल जानेसे धरतीपर गिरकर छटपटा रहे थे। स्थान-स्थानपर मरणोन्मुख जीव-जन्तु दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे
dagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇā viceṣṭanto mahītale | tatra tatra sama dṛśyante vinaśyantaḥ śarīriṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Mit versengten Flügeln, Augen und Füßen lagen sie sich auf der Erde windend. Hier und dort sah man Lebewesen—Körper, die versagten, dem Tod nahe.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical consequence of unchecked destructive forces: when devastation spreads, it does not discriminate, and countless innocent beings suffer. It implicitly calls for restraint, responsibility, and compassion toward all embodied life.
The narrator describes a grim aftermath: birds with burnt wings, eyes, and feet have fallen to the ground and writhe helplessly, while many creatures in different places are seen dying.