Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

हत्वा वै दानवान्‌ देवा: सर्वे सम्भूय संयुगे | तेनाभ्यजानन्‌ हि तदा ब्राह्मुणै्निहतान्‌ कपान्‌

Transliteration

hatvā vai dānavān devāḥ sarve sambhūya saṃyuge | tenābhyajānann hi tadā brāhmaṇair nihatān kapān |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：当时诸天神在战场上会合，一齐诛灭檀那婆。可就在那同一时刻，他们并不知晓：迦帕早已为婆罗门所毁灭。

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• दानवान्: the Dānavas (demons)
• दानवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सम्भूय: having assembled / having come together
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तेन: thereby / by that (means)
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यजानन्: they came to know / they recognized
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• हि: for / indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• ब्राह्मणैः: by the Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निहतान्: slain / destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कपान्: monkeys (kapi-s)
• कपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devāḥ (the gods)
• Dānavāḥ (Dānavas)
• Brāhmaṇāḥ (Brahmins)
• Kāpāḥ (Kāpās)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Victory in war does not guarantee moral clarity: even exalted agents (the gods) may remain unaware of other acts of destruction carried out in parallel. The verse highlights the ethical need for vigilance and accountability beyond one’s immediate battlefield success.

What is happening in the narrative?

All the gods unite and kill the Dānavas in battle. However, at that same time they do not know that the Brāhmaṇas have already killed the Kāpās, indicating a separate, less-visible episode of violence occurring alongside the main conflict.