Shloka 13
अध्याय ९९ — युयुधान-दुःशासन-युद्धम्
Chapter 99: Sātyaki and Duḥśāsana’s engagement
गृध्रा: कड़्का बका: श्येना वायसा जम्बुकास्तथा । बहुश: पिशिताशाश्च तत्रादृश्यन्त मारिष,आर्य! वहाँ बहुत-से गीध, कंक, बगले, बाज, कौए, सियार तथा अन्य मांसभक्षी प्राणी दृष्टिगोचर होते थे
gṛdhrāḥ kaṅkā bakāḥ śyenā vāyasā jambukās tathā | bahuśaḥ piśitāśāś ca tatrādṛśyanta māriṣa ||
Sañjaya said: “There, O revered one, many flesh-seeking creatures were seen—vultures, herons, cranes, hawks, crows, and jackals. Their gathering signaled the grim harvest of war, reminding all of the moral cost and desolation that follow slaughter.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical aftermath of war: where killing becomes widespread, the natural world responds with scavengers and predators. It functions as a moral mirror—violence degrades the battlefield into a place of death, foretelling suffering and reminding the listener that adharma-driven conflict leaves a visible, grim residue.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene by listing carrion and flesh-eating creatures—vultures, birds, crows, and jackals—appearing in large numbers. This imagery conveys that heavy casualties are present or imminent, and it heightens the ominous atmosphere of the Drona Parva battle.