Shloka 20

Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)

Devanagari script

हरिवक्त्रा: क्रौड्चमुखा: कपोतेभमुखास्तथा । पारावतमुखाश्वैव मद्गुवक्त्रास्तथैव च

Transliteration

harivaktrāḥ krauñcamukhāḥ kapotebhamukhās tathā | pārāvatamukhāś caiva madguvaktrās tathaiva ca ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Có toán mặt như sư tử; có toán như chim krauñca; có toán như bồ câu và voi; có toán như chim cu; và có toán khác nữa như loài chim nước madgu.”

Word by Word

• हरिवक्त्राः: having faces like lions
• हरिवक्त्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि-वक्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्रौञ्चमुखाः: having faces like krauñca birds
• क्रौञ्चमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रौञ्च-मुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कपोतेभमुखाः: having faces like pigeons and elephants
• कपोतेभमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपोत-इभ-मुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: and likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• पारावतमुखाः: having faces like doves
• पारावतमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पारावत-मुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मद्गुवक्त्राः: having faces like madgu water-birds
• मद्गुवक्त्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद्गु-वक्त्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथैव: just so/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा+एव

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

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gaṇāḥ (bands/hosts)
• hari (lion)
• krauñca (bird)
• kapota (pigeon)
• ibha (elephant)
• pārāvata (dove)
• madgu (water-bird)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contributes to the ethical atmosphere of the Sauptika episode: the many-formed, animal-faced hosts symbolize the unsettling, disorderly forces unleashed when warfare slips into nocturnal massacre. The imagery reinforces that adharma distorts the world’s moral order and invites fearful consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing the strange bands accompanying the night-time events of the Sauptika Parva. He lists the varied animal-like faces of these beings, intensifying the ominous tone surrounding the impending nocturnal slaughter in the camp.