Shloka 100

Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154

Devanagari script

सर्वे विकृतदेहाश्चाप्यस्मिन्‌ देशे सुदारुणे । युष्मान्‌ प्रधर्षयिष्यन्ति विकृता मांसभोजिन:

Transliteration

sarve vikṛtadehāś cāpy asmin deśe sudāruṇe | yuṣmān pradharṣayiṣyanti vikṛtā māṁsabhōjinaḥ ||

Translation

Le vautour dit : «Dans cette contrée terrible, tous les êtres ont des corps difformes. Ce sont des mangeurs de chair aux membres tordus, et ils vous submergeront pour vous saisir.»

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विकृतदेहाः: having deformed bodies
• विकृतदेहाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृतदेह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• देशे: region/place
• देशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सुदारुणे: very dreadful/terrible
• सुदारुणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• युष्मान्: you (all)
• युष्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Plural

• प्रधर्षयिष्यन्ति: will attack/assail/overpower
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-धर्ष्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• विकृताः: deformed/monstrous
• विकृताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विकृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मांसभोजिनः: meat-eaters
• मांसभोजिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसभोजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

गृध्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• gṛdhra (vulture)
• deśa (this dreadful region)
• māṁsabhōjinaḥ prāṇinaḥ (flesh-eating beings/creatures)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores prudence and discernment: entering a place dominated by हिंसा (violence) and predatory beings invites harm. Ethically, it suggests that environments shaped by adharma endanger the weak and demand caution, restraint, and wise counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

A vulture speaks as a warning voice, describing the terrifying nature of the region: its inhabitants are grotesque, flesh-eating creatures who will attack and overpower the addressed group. The line functions as an urgent caution against proceeding unprepared.