Shloka 14

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०

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

Devanagari script

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:

Transliteration

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

Translation

Sanjaya said: The young sons of a vaiśya would continually feed the crow with meat and cooked rice, curd, milk, sweet rice pudding, honey, and ghee—so that the bird lived as one sustained on their leftovers. The episode underscores how habitual indulgence and easy nourishment can foster dependence and dull natural restraint, a moral contrast often drawn amid the larger war narrative’s reflections on conduct and consequence.

Word by Word

मांसौदनम्meat-rice (rice with meat)

दधिcurd/yogurt

क्षीरम्milk

पायसम्rice-pudding (kheer)

मधुhoney

सर्पिषीghee (clarified butter) (dual form used in listing)

सचोच्छिष्टभूतःhaving become (one) with leftovers; living on remnants

काकःthe crow

वैश्यपुत्रैःby the sons of a vaiśya (merchant)

कुमारकैःby the boys/young lads

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

crow (kāka)

vaiśya boys (vaiśyaputrāḥ kumārakāḥ)

food offerings: meat, rice, curd, milk, pāyasa, honey, ghee

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Sandhi Notes