Mahabharata 9.45.80 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 45, Shloka 80
Kārttikeya-Abhiṣecana: Mātṛgaṇa-Nāma Saṃkīrtana and Skanda’s Commission
मार्जारशशवत्त्राश्न दीर्घवक्त्राक्ष भारत,भारत! बहुतोंके मुख बिल्ली और खरगोशके समान थे। किन्हींके मुख बहुत बड़े थे और किन्हींके नेवले, उल्लू, कौए, चूहे, बश्वु तथा मयूरके मुखोंके समान थे
mārjāra-śaśavat trāsān dīrgha-vaktrākṣa bhārata | bahūnāṃ mukhāni biḍāla-śaśa-sadṛśāni āsan | kecin mahā-mukhāḥ, kecin nakula-ulūka-kāka-mūṣaka-vṛṣabha-mayūra-sadṛśa-mukhāḥ ||
వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను— “ఓ భారత! అనేకుల ముఖములు పిల్లి, కుందేలు వంటి వి; కొందరివి అత్యంత దీర్ఘముగా, విస్తారముగా ఉండెను; మరికొందరివి ముంగిస, గుడ్లగూబ, కాకి, ఎలుక, వృషభము మరియు నెమలి వంటి ముఖములు.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how adharma and the violence of war manifest as inner and outer distortion—fear, confusion, and ominous perceptions—suggesting that moral collapse is accompanied by psychological and symbolic disorder.
During the grim events of Śalya Parva, the narrator describes a terrifying sight: many warriors (or people present) appear with animal-like faces of various kinds, functioning as a portent and emphasizing the dread and chaos surrounding the battle.
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