Shloka 40
संनिपत्य तु शाखायां न्यग्रोधस्य विहड्भम: । सुप्ताञ्जघान सुबहून् वायसान् वायसान्तक:,कौओंके लिये कालरूपधारी उस विहंगमने वटवृक्षकी उस शाखापर बड़े वेगसे आक्रमण किया और सोये हुए बहुत-से कौओंको मार डाला
sannipatya tu śākhāyāṃ nyagrodhasya vihaṅgamaḥ | suptāñ jaghāna subahūn vāyasān vāyasāntakaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then, swooping down upon a branch of the banyan tree, that bird—like Death itself to the crows—struck down many crows as they lay asleep. The scene underscores how vulnerability and heedlessness in a time of violence can invite sudden destruction, and how war’s cruelty extends even to the unsuspecting.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical darkness of violence that targets the defenseless: those who are unguarded (here, sleeping) can be destroyed without warning, and war’s momentum normalizes ruthless acts. It serves as a caution about heedlessness and about how vengeance can become indiscriminate cruelty.
Sañjaya describes a bird attacking on a banyan branch and killing many sleeping crows—an illustrative image within the Sauptika Parva’s night-raid atmosphere, emphasizing sudden slaughter and the peril of being unprepared.