Shloka 18
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय २: संजयस्य दिव्यदृष्टिप्रदानम् तथा निमित्तवर्णनम्
Granting Sañjaya Divine Sight and the Description of Omens
अभ्यग्र॑ च प्रपश्यन्ति युद्धमानन्दिनो द्विजा: । क्रव्यादा भक्षयिष्यन्ति मांसानि गजवाजिनाम्
abhyagraṁ ca prapaśyanti yuddham ānandino dvijāḥ | kravyādā bhakṣayiṣyanti māṁsāni gajavājinām ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : « On voit des oiseaux, réjouis à l’idée du combat, s’approcher de très près et regarder la mêlée. Cela annonce que les êtres carnassiers se repaîtront bientôt des corps des éléphants et des chevaux. »
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral cost of war: when humans choose violence, the natural world responds with grim inevitability—scavengers gather, and death becomes certain. It serves as a dharmic warning that warfare degrades life and invites widespread suffering beyond the combatants.
As the armies prepare and the conflict looms, ominous signs appear: birds crowd close to the battlefield, seemingly delighted, indicating that many will die and that carnivores will feed on the fallen, including elephants and horses.