Shloka 12
बहव: पक्षिणो राजन् पुन्नामान: शुभा: शिवा:
sañjaya uvāca |
bahavaḥ pakṣiṇo rājan punnāmānaḥ śubhāḥ śivāḥ |
prayāhi śīghraṃ govinda sūtaputra-jighāṃsayā ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh rey, muchas aves auspiciosas y benignas, de nombres favorables, están clamando. Parte sin demora, oh Govinda, con la resolución de dar muerte al hijo del auriga».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the Mahābhārata’s war-ethos, action is often urged by a mix of perceived omens and martial resolve. It invites reflection on the ethical tension between interpreting signs as moral sanction and the stark reality that the immediate aim remains killing in battle.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that auspicious birds are calling—taken as favorable omens—and conveys an urgent exhortation addressed to Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) to depart quickly with the intent of slaying the ‘sūtaputra,’ i.e., Karna.