Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अभ्यग्र॑ च प्रपश्यन्ति युद्धमानन्दिनो द्विजा: । क्रव्यादा भक्षयिष्यन्ति मांसानि गजवाजिनाम्‌,'ये पक्षी अत्यन्त आनन्दित होकर युद्धस्थलको बहुत निकटसे आकर देखते हैं। इससे सूचित होता है कि मांसभक्षी पशु-पक्षी आदि प्राणी हाथियों और घोड़ोंके मांस खायेंगे। भयकी सूचना देनेवाले कंक पक्षी कठोर स्वरमें बोलते हुए सेनाके बीचसे होकर दक्षिण दिशाकी ओर जाते हैं

Transliteration

abhyagraṁ ca prapaśyanti yuddham ānandino dvijāḥ | kravyādā bhakṣayiṣyanti māṁsāni gajavājinām ||

Translation

ये पक्षी युद्ध के आनन्द में मग्न होकर बहुत निकट से रणभूमि को देखते हैं। इससे सूचित होता है कि मांसभक्षी प्राणी हाथियों और घोड़ों के मांस पर टूट पड़ेंगे।

Word by Word

अभ्यग्रंvery near, close at hand

चand

प्रपश्यन्तिthey look at, behold

युद्धमानन्दिनःdelighting in battle

द्विजाःtwice-born (birds / Brahmins; here: birds)

क्रव्यादाःflesh-eaters (carnivores)

भक्षयिष्यन्तिthey will eat, devour

मांसानिfleshes, meat pieces

गजवाजिनाम्of elephants and horses

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

birds (scavengers/carnivores)

battlefield

elephants

horses

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.