Shloka 23

Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)

Devanagari script

भासा हंसा: सुपर्णाश्न॒ चक्रवाका: प्लवा बका: | काको मदगुश्न गृध्रश्च श्येनोलूकस्तथैव च

Transliteration

bhāsā haṃsāḥ suparṇāś ca cakravākāḥ plavā bakāḥ | kāko madguś ca gṛdhraś ca śyenolūkas tathaiva ca ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “The bhāsa-birds, swans, the suparṇa (garuḍa-like birds), cakravākas, ducks, herons, crows, madgu-birds, vultures, hawks, and owls—these and similar creatures are to be regarded as unfit for eating (abhakṣya).”

Word by Word

• भासाः: kites (a kind of bird of prey)
• भासाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हंसाः: swans/geese
• हंसाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुपर्णाः: suparṇas (eagles/garuḍa-like birds)
• सुपर्णाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• चक्रवाकाः: cakravāka birds (ruddy sheldrakes)
• चक्रवाकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रवाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्लवाः: plavas (a kind of water-bird)
• प्लवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बकाः: herons/cranes
• बकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• काकः: crow
• काकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मद्गुः: madgu (a water-bird; cormorant/diver)
• मद्गुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्गु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गृध्रः: vulture
• गृध्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• श्येनः: hawk/falcon
• श्येनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उलूकः: owl
• उलूकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• bhāsa (bird)
• haṃsa (swan)
• suparṇa (great bird/Garuḍa-type)
• cakravāka (waterbird)
• plava (waterbird/duck)
• baka (heron/crane)
• kāka (crow)
• madgu (diving bird)
• gṛdhra (vulture)
• śyena (hawk)
• ulūka (owl)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contributes to dharmic guidance on food by listing birds considered abhakṣya (not fit to be eaten), emphasizing purity, restraint, and avoidance of creatures linked with predation or scavenging.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, Vyāsa is presenting normative rules of conduct; here he enumerates specific kinds of birds as prohibited items of consumption within a broader ethical discussion of proper living.