Shloka 40

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

sannipatya tu śākhāyāṃ nyagrodhasya vihaṅgamaḥ | suptāñ jaghāna subahūn vāyasān vāyasāntakaḥ ||

Translation

ତାପରେ ସେହି ପକ୍ଷୀ—କାଉମାନଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଯେନେ ମୃତ୍ୟୁସ୍ୱରୂପ—ବଟବୃକ୍ଷର ଗୋଟିଏ ଶାଖାରେ ଝପଟି ପଡ଼ି, ଶୋଇଥିବା ଅନେକ କାଉକୁ ମାରିଦେଲା।

Word by Word

संनिपत्यhaving swooped down / having rushed together

तुbut/indeed

शाखायाम्on the branch

न्यग्रोधस्यof the banyan (nyagrodha)

विहङ्गमःthe bird

सुप्तान्sleeping

जघानkilled / struck down

सुबहून्very many

वायसान्crows

वायसान्तकःdestroyer of crows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

nyagrodha (banyan tree)

śākhā (branch)

vihaṅgama (a bird)

vāyasa (crows)

Character Dynamics

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 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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.