Shloka 99

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

Devanagari script

चिताधूमेन नीलेन संरज्यन्ते च पादपा: । श्मशाने च निराहारा: प्रतिनर्दन्ति देहिन:,चिताके काले धुएँसे यहाँके सारे वृक्ष उसी रंगमें रंग गये हैं। श्मशानभूमिमें यहाँके निराहार प्राणी (प्रेत-पिशाच आदि) गरज रहे हैं

Transliteration

citādhūmena nīlena saṃrajyante ca pādapāḥ | śmaśāne ca nirāhārāḥ pratinardanti dehinaḥ ||

Translation

ಚಿತೆಯ ನೀಲಿಮೆಯ ಕಪ್ಪು ಹೊಗೆಯಿಂದ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮರಗಳು ಅದೇ ಬಣ್ಣಕ್ಕೆ ಮಸುಕಾಗಿವೆ; ಮತ್ತು ಶ್ಮಶಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಹಾರವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಅಲೆದಾಡುವ ಜೀವಿಗಳು—ಪ್ರೇತ-ಪಿಶಾಚಾದಿಗಳು—ಪ್ರತಿಧ್ವನಿಯಾಗಿ ಗರ್ಜಿಸುತ್ತಿವೆ।

Word by Word

चिताधूमेनby the smoke of the funeral pyre

नीलेनdark/blue (in color)

संरज्यन्तेare being dyed/colored

चand

पादपाःtrees

श्मशानेin the cremation-ground

चand

निराहाराःwithout food; fasting

प्रतिनर्दन्तिroar; bellow; cry out

देहिनःembodied beings

Speaker

गृध्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

ग

गृध्र (vulture, speaker)

च

चितā (funeral pyre)

श

श्मशान (cremation-ground)

प

पादप (trees)

द

देहिन (embodied beings; contextually pretas/piśācas)

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 ethical and contemplative force of mortality: the cremation-ground’s smoke stains even the surrounding trees, reminding one that death’s presence permeates the world. Such imagery urges detachment, sobriety, and a dharmic awareness of impermanence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The vulture describes a cremation-ground scene: smoke from pyres has darkened the trees, and uncanny, hungerless beings (understood in context as restless spirits) are making loud, echoing cries—an atmosphere of dread and inauspiciousness.