Shloka 9
पिशाचान् पक्षिणो नागान् पशूंश्चवैव सहस्रश:,कृष्णमशभ्युद्यतास्त्रं च नादं मुमुचुरुल्बणम् | उन्होंने उस जलते हुए वनको और मारनेके लिये अस्त्र उठाये हुए श्रीकृष्ण तथा अर्जुनको देखा। उत्पात और आर्तनादके शब्दसे उस वनमें खड़े हुए वे सभी प्राणी संत्रस्त- से हो उठे थे। उस वनको अनेक प्रकारसे दग्ध होते देख और अस्त्र उठाये हुए श्रीकृष्णपर दृष्टि डाल भयानक आर्तनाद करने लगे
piśācān pakṣiṇo nāgān paśūṁś caiva sahasraśaḥ | kṛṣṇam abhyudyatāstraṁ ca nādaṁ mumucur ulbaṇam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Seeing thousands upon thousands of piśācas, birds, serpents, and beasts—and also beholding Kṛṣṇa with weapon raised—those creatures, terrified amid the blazing forest, let out a dreadful, tumultuous cry. The scene underscores how the violence of a conflagration and armed force drives even the innocent and voiceless into panic and lamentation.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the collateral suffering caused by destructive acts: when fire and weapons dominate a scene, countless beings—regardless of guilt or innocence—are driven into fear and anguish. It invites ethical reflection on the wider consequences of violence.
As the forest burns, multitudes of beings—piśācas, birds, serpents, and animals—see Kṛṣṇa with weapon raised (in the context of the forest episode) and, overwhelmed by terror, emit a fierce, dreadful cry.