Shloka 39
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
सो<थ शब्दं मृदुं कृत्वा लीयमान इवाण्डज: । न्यग्रोधस्य ततः शाखां प्रार्थथामास भारत,भरतनन्दन! वह पक्षी कोमल बोली बोलकर छिपता हुआ-सा बरगदकी उस शाखापर आनेकी इच्छा करने लगा
so 'tha śabdaṃ mṛduṃ kṛtvā līyamāna ivāṇḍajaḥ | nyagrodhasya tataḥ śākhāṃ prārthayāmāsa bhārata ||
Lalu burung itu melembutkan suaranya, seakan hendak menyamar, dan mulai mencari tempat bertengger pada salah satu dahan pohon beringin itu, wahai Bharata.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychology of fear and concealment in a violent aftermath: when adharma and slaughter dominate the atmosphere, even a bird’s behavior becomes cautious and furtive, reflecting a world where safety and openness have collapsed.
Sanjaya describes a bird that lowers its voice and behaves as if hiding, then seeks to settle on a branch of a banyan tree—an atmospheric detail that builds tension and suggests ominous quiet in the Sauptika episode.