Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एते गोमायवो भीमा निहतानां यशस्विनाम्‌ । कण्ठान्तरगतान्‌ हारानाक्षिपन्ति सहस्रश:,“यहाँ मारे गये यशस्वी वीरोंके कण्ठमें पड़े हुए हारोंको ये सहस्रों भयानक गीदड़ खींचते और झटकते हैं

Transliteration

ete gomāyavo bhīmā nihatānāṁ yaśasvinām | kaṇṭhāntaragātān hārān ākṣipanti sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Here, thousands of terrifying jackals tug and jerk at the garlands lodged around the throats of the fallen, illustrious warriors.”

Word by Word

एतेthese

गोमायवःjackals

भीमाःterrible, fearsome

निहतानाम्of the slain

यशस्विनाम्of the glorious/renowned (heroes)

कण्ठ-अन्तर-गतान्gone into/lying within the neck (i.e., at the throat)

हारान्garlands/necklaces

आक्षिपन्तिthey snatch/drag/jerk away

सहस्रशःby thousands, in thousands (in great numbers)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

jackals (gomāyu)

slain illustrious warriors (yaśasvin)

garlands/necklaces (hāra)

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 highlights the ethical and existential consequence of war: fame and honor cannot protect the body from decay and indignity. It implicitly warns that violence and adharma culminate in suffering that strips even heroes of worldly dignity, urging reflection on dharma and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the devastated battlefield setting of the Strī Parva, Vaiśampāyana describes scavenging jackals swarming in thousands and violently tugging at the garlands/necklaces still caught around the necks of slain renowned warriors.