Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तन्मांसं चैव गोमायोस्तै: क्षणादाशु ढौकितम्‌ । मांसापनयन ज्ञात्वा व्याप्र: श्रुत्वा च तद्गबच:

Transliteration

tanmāṁsaṁ caiva gomāyostaiḥ kṣaṇād āśu ḍhaukitam | māṁsāpanayanaṁ jñātvā vyāghraḥ śrutvā ca tad-gavacaḥ ||

Translation

Then, in an instant, those jackals quickly dragged away that flesh. Hearing the cowherd’s outcry and realizing that the meat had been carried off, the tiger understood what had happened.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• māṁsam: meat/flesh
• māṁsam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṁsa
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• eva: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva

• gomāyāḥ: jackals
• gomāyāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomāyu
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• taiḥ: by them
• taiḥ: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• kṣaṇāt: in a moment/instantly
• kṣaṇāt: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• āśu: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu

• ḍhaukitam: was carried off/dragged away
• Type: Verb
• Root: ḍhauk
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (kta)

• māṁsa: meat
• māṁsa: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṁsa
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• apanayanam: removal/carrying away
• apanayanam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: apanayana
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• jñātvā: having known/realizing
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā)

• vyāghraḥ: the tiger
• vyāghraḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāghra
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• śrutvā: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• tat: that
• tat: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• gacchati: goes/sets out
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
• व्याघ्र (tiger)
• गोमायु (jackals)
• गवच/गोव्रजपाल (cowherd/cow-protector)
• मांस (meat/flesh)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse supports a moral sequence: wrongful acquisition or careless possession invites loss, and awareness of cause-and-effect (who took what, and why) is essential for ethical discernment and right response.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jackals swiftly seize and drag away the meat. The tiger, hearing the cowherd’s cry and recognizing that the meat has been removed, realizes the situation and prepares to respond within the unfolding fable-like episode.