Shloka 8
खाण्डवदाहोत्तर-वरप्रदानम्
Boons after the Khāṇḍava Burning
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणा विचेष्टन्तो महीतले । तत्र तत्र सम दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्त: शरीरिण:,कितने ही पक्षी पाँख, आँख और पंजोंके जल जानेसे धरतीपर गिरकर छटपटा रहे थे। स्थान-स्थानपर मरणोन्मुख जीव-जन्तु दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे
dagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇā viceṣṭanto mahītale | tatra tatra sama dṛśyante vinaśyantaḥ śarīriṇaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: With their wings, eyes, and feet scorched, they lay writhing upon the earth. Here and there, living creatures could be seen alike—bodies failing, on the verge of death. The scene underscores the moral weight of uncontrolled destruction: when fire and violence spread beyond restraint, the innocent and voiceless suffer first, and the world’s order is shaken.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical consequence of unchecked destructive forces: when devastation spreads, it does not discriminate, and countless innocent beings suffer. It implicitly calls for restraint, responsibility, and compassion toward all embodied life.
The narrator describes a grim aftermath: birds with burnt wings, eyes, and feet have fallen to the ground and writhe helplessly, while many creatures in different places are seen dying.