Shloka 13
अध्याय ९९ — युयुधान-दुःशासन-युद्धम्
Chapter 99: Sātyaki and Duḥśāsana’s engagement
गृध्रा: कड़्का बका: श्येना वायसा जम्बुकास्तथा । बहुश: पिशिताशाश्च तत्रादृश्यन्त मारिष,आर्य! वहाँ बहुत-से गीध, कंक, बगले, बाज, कौए, सियार तथा अन्य मांसभक्षी प्राणी दृष्टिगोचर होते थे
gṛdhrāḥ kaṅkā bakāḥ śyenā vāyasā jambukās tathā | bahuśaḥ piśitāśāś ca tatrādṛśyanta māriṣa ||
Sañjaya dit : «Là, ô vénérable, on voyait quantité de créatures en quête de chair : vautours, kanka, hérons, grues, faucons, corbeaux et chacals, ainsi que d’autres charognards. Leur rassemblement annonçait la lugubre moisson de la guerre, rappelant le prix moral et la désolation qui suivent le carnage.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical aftermath of war: where killing becomes widespread, the natural world responds with scavengers and predators. It functions as a moral mirror—violence degrades the battlefield into a place of death, foretelling suffering and reminding the listener that adharma-driven conflict leaves a visible, grim residue.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene by listing carrion and flesh-eating creatures—vultures, birds, crows, and jackals—appearing in large numbers. This imagery conveys that heavy casualties are present or imminent, and it heightens the ominous atmosphere of the Drona Parva battle.