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Shloka 37

कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna

Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying

मेदोमज्जावसामत्तास्तृप्ता मांसस्य चैव ह । धावमाना: सम दृश्यन्ते काकगृध्रबकास्तथा

medomajjāvasā-mattās tṛptā māṁsasya caiva ha | dhāvamānāḥ sama-dṛśyante kāka-gṛdhra-bakās tathā ||

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “อีกาทั้งหลาย แร้ง และนกกระสา—เมามายด้วยไขมัน ไขกระดูก และมันเยิ้ม ทั้งยังอิ่มหนำด้วยเนื้อ—ปรากฏให้เห็นว่ากำลังวิ่งวุ่นอยู่ที่นั่น”

मेदःof fat
मेदः:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमेदस्
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
मज्जाof marrow
मज्जा:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमज्जा
FormFeminine, Genitive, Singular
वसाof grease
वसा:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootवसा
FormFeminine, Genitive, Singular
मत्ताःintoxicated, maddened
मत्ताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमत्त
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तृप्ताःsatiated
तृप्ताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootतृप्त
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
मांसस्यof flesh
मांसस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमांस
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
एवindeed, just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
indeed (emphatic particle)
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
धावमानाःrunning, rushing
धावमानाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootधावमान
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सम्together, completely (prefix used adverbially)
सम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसम्
दृश्यन्तेare seen, appear
दृश्यन्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada, Passive
काकcrows
काक:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootकाक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
गृध्रvultures
गृध्र:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगृध्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
बकाःherons/cranes
बकाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तथाthus, likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
C
crows (kāka)
V
vultures (gṛdhra)
C
cranes (baka)
F
flesh (māṁsa)
F
fat (medas)
M
marrow (majjā)
G
grease/tallow (vasā)

Educational Q&A

The verse functions as a stark ethical mirror: war reduces human bodies to carrion, and the ‘victory’ of battle is shown as a feast for scavengers. It warns that adharma-driven violence degrades all participants and turns the field of heroism into a scene of moral and physical ruin.

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the gruesome aftermath on the battlefield: scavenger birds, having fed on the slain, are visibly gorged and restless, running about amid the carnage.