Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कड्का गृश्रा बका: श्येना वायसाश्न विशाम्पते,प्रयाहि शीघ्र॑ गोविन्द सूतपुत्रजिघांसया । “गोविन्द! अब मेरा रथ तैयार हो। उसमें पुनः उत्तम घोड़े जोते जायँ और मेरे उस विशाल रथमें सब प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्र सजाकर रख दिये जायाँ। अअभ्वारोहियोंद्वारा सिखलाये और टहलाये गये घोड़े रथसम्बन्धी उपकरणोंसे सुसज्जित हो शीघ्र यहाँ आवें और आप सूतपुत्रके वधकी इच्छासे जल्दी ही यहाँसे प्रस्थान कीजिये”

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kaṅkā gṛdhrā bakāḥ śyenā vāyasāś ca viśāmpate | prayāhi śīghraṃ govinda sūtaputra-jighāṃsayā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O lord of men, the kites, vultures, cranes, hawks, and crows are gathering. Go forth quickly, O Govinda, with the resolve to strike down the charioteer’s son.”

Word by Word

कङ्काherons

गृध्राःvultures

बकाःcranes

श्येनाःhawks/falcons

वायसाःcrows

अश्नeat/devour

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

प्रयाहिset out/go forth

शीघ्रम्quickly

गोविन्दO Govinda

सूतपुत्रthe charioteer’s son (Karna)

जिघांसयाwith the desire to kill

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (viśāmpati)

Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)

Sūtaputra (Karna)

kites (kaṅka)

vultures (gṛdhra)

cranes/herons (baka)

hawks (śyena)

crows (vāyasa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s sense of moral gravity in war: ominous signs gather as violence approaches, reminding the listener that actions unfold within a larger web of fate and karma, even when undertaken as perceived duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that ominous battlefield birds are assembling and that Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) is being urged to proceed swiftly with the intent of killing the sūtaputra, i.e., Karna.