Shloka 16

Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

शृगालगृभ्रकाकोला: सदस्यास्तत्र पत्रिण: | आज्यशेषं पिबन्त्येते हवि: प्राश्नन्ति चाध्वरे

Transliteration

śṛgāla-gṛdhra-kākolāḥ sadasyās tatra patriṇaḥ | ājya-śeṣaṃ pibanty ete haviḥ prāśnanti cādhvare ||

Translation

ଶିଆଳ, ଗିଧ, କାଉ ଓ ଅନ୍ୟ ମାଂସଭକ୍ଷୀ ପକ୍ଷୀମାନେ ସେହି ଯଜ୍ଞର ସଦସ୍ୟ; ସେମାନେ ଯଜ୍ଞାବଶିଷ୍ଟ ଆଜ୍ୟ (ରକ୍ତ) ପିଉଥାନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଅଧ୍ୱରରେ ଅର୍ପିତ ହବିଷ୍ୟ (ମାଂସ) ଭକ୍ଷଣ କରନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• शृगालगृभ्रकाकोला: jackals, vultures, crows and owls
• शृगालगृभ्रकाकोला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृगाल + गृध्र + काक + उलूक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सदस्याः: members
• सदस्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदस्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• पत्रिणः: winged ones (birds)
• पत्रिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आज्यशेषम्: the remainder of ghee
• आज्यशेषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्यशेष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पिबन्ति: drink
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (पिबति)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हविः: oblation (havis)
• हविः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्राश्नन्ति: eat, partake
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अश्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अध्वरे: in the sacrifice
• अध्वरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

अम्बरीष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ambarīṣa
• jackals (śṛgālāḥ)
• vultures (gṛdhrāḥ)
• crows (kākāḥ)
• carrion-eating birds (kākolāḥ/patriṇaḥ)
• ghee (ājya)
• oblation (havis)
• sacrifice/ritual (adhvara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ritual that becomes entangled with violence and impure consumption is condemned as a distortion of dharma. The verse uses stark imagery—scavengers as ‘ritual members’—to show that unethical sacrifice attracts base forces rather than sanctity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ambarīṣa is describing a sacrifice in which the leftovers (ghee/offerings) are consumed by jackals, vultures, crows, and other flesh-eating birds, implying the rite has degenerated into something akin to a slaughter-feast rather than a purifying yajña.