Shloka 19
निर्दयं चाभिवाशन्तो भैरवा भयवेदिन: । कड्का: प्रयान्ति मध्येन दक्षिणामभितो दिशम्,'ये पक्षी अत्यन्त आनन्दित होकर युद्धस्थलको बहुत निकटसे आकर देखते हैं। इससे सूचित होता है कि मांसभक्षी पशु-पक्षी आदि प्राणी हाथियों और घोड़ोंके मांस खायेंगे। भयकी सूचना देनेवाले कंक पक्षी कठोर स्वरमें बोलते हुए सेनाके बीचसे होकर दक्षिण दिशाकी ओर जाते हैं
nirdayaṃ cābhivāśanto bhairavā bhayavedinaḥ | kaṅkāḥ prayānti madhyena dakṣiṇām abhito diśam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Uttering harsh cries, the dreadful kaṅka birds—portents that foretell fear—pass through the midst of the army and move toward the southern quarter.” In the epic’s omen-language, such carrion birds near the battlefield signal impending slaughter and the feeding of flesh-eating creatures upon the fallen, including horses and elephants.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses omen imagery to underline the moral gravity of war: violence draws death and scavengers, and nature itself appears to warn of the consequences. It frames the coming battle as a dharmic crisis where choices lead to inevitable suffering.
As the armies prepare, ominous birds (kaṅkas) cry harshly and fly through the ranks toward the south, a direction traditionally associated with Yama and death. Their behavior is presented as a sign of imminent carnage on the battlefield.