Shloka 13

Devanagari script

एषामुत्कृत्य मांसानि मानुषाणां यथेष्टत: । भक्षयिष्याव सहितौ कुरु तूर्ण वचो मम,'फिर हम दोनों एक साथ बैठकर इन मनुष्योंके मांस नोच-नोचकर जी-भर खायेंगे। तुम मेरी इस आज्ञाका तुरंत पालन करो

Transliteration

eṣām utkṛtya māṁsāni mānuṣāṇāṁ yatheṣṭataḥ | bhakṣayiṣyāva sahitau kuru tūrṇaṁ vaco mama ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Tearing off the flesh of these humans as we please, we two shall eat our fill together. Therefore, carry out my command at once.” The line conveys a deliberate, predatory intent and highlights a stark collapse of ethical restraint, presenting violence not as necessity but as willed cruelty.

Word by Word

एषाम्of these (men)

उत्कृत्यhaving torn/cut out

मांसानिfleshes, pieces of flesh

मानुषाणाम्of humans

यथाas, according to

इष्टतःas desired, at will

भक्षयिष्यावःwe two will eat/devour

सहितौtogether, accompanied (we two)

कुरुdo (it)!

तूर्णम्quickly, at once

वचःword, command

ममmy

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

humans (mānuṣāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions as a negative ethical exemplar: it depicts intentional harm driven by appetite and dominance, underscoring how adharma manifests when beings treat others as consumable objects and issue commands to normalize cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (reported by Vaiśampāyana) urges an accomplice to act immediately so that the two can together tear human flesh and eat freely, indicating a predatory plan and imminent violence.