Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यजमानांस्तु तान्‌ दृष्टवा सर्वान्‌ दीक्षानुकर्शितान्‌ । हन्तुमैच्छन्त शैलाभा: खलिनो नाम दानवा:,“समस्त देवता यज्ञकी दीक्षा लेकर दुबले हो रहे थे। उन्हें यज्ञ करते देख पर्वतके समान शरीरवाले खली" नामक दानवोंने उन सबको मार डालनेका विचार किया (फिर तो दोनों दलोंमें युद्ध छिड़ गया)

Transliteration

yajamānāṁs tu tān dṛṣṭvā sarvān dīkṣānukarśitān | hantum aicchanta śailābhāḥ khalino nāma dānavāḥ ||

Translation

ครั้นเหล่าผู้ประกอบยัญพิธีทั้งปวงซึ่งซูบผอมด้วยวินัยแห่งทีกษาแล้วถูกเห็นเข้า เหล่าทานวะนามว่า “คะลิน” ผู้มีกายดุจขุนเขา ก็ปรารถนาจะสังหารพวกเขา

Word by Word

यजमानान्the sacrificers (patrons of the sacrifice)

तुbut/indeed

तान्those (them)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

सर्वान्all

दीक्षाby (their) consecration/vow

अनुकर्शितान्emaciated/dragged down (made lean)

हन्तुम्to kill

ऐच्छन्तthey desired/wished

शैलाभाःmountain-like (in appearance/body)

खलिनःKhalins (a named group/tribe)

नामby name/called

दानवाःdemons/Daityas (Danavas)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

yajamānas (sacrificers)

dīkṣā (consecration/vow)

Khalin (Dānavas)

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?

Harming those engaged in yajña and weakened by dīkṣā is portrayed as adharma; sacred observance deserves protection, and aggression against it becomes a moral fault that precipitates justified resistance and wider conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Dānavas called Khalin see the sacrificers (devas/ritual performers) grown thin from consecration vows and decide to kill them, setting the stage for a clash between opposing forces over the integrity of the sacrifice.