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Shloka 11

Jaitrya-nimitta: Signs of Prospective Victory and the Priority of Conciliation (जयलक्षण-निमित्त तथा सान्त्व-प्रधान नीति)

माड़ल्यशब्दान्‌ शकुना वदन्ति हंसा: क्रौजचा: शतपत्राश्न चाषा: | हृष्टा योधा: सत्त्ववन्तो भवन्ति जयस्यैतद्‌ भाविनो रूपमाहु:

māḍalyaśabdān śakunā vadanti haṃsāḥ krauñcāḥ śatapatrāś ca cāṣāḥ | hṛṣṭā yodhāḥ sattvavanto bhavanti jayasya etad bhāvino rūpam āhuḥ ||

毗湿摩说道:“当群鸟发出吉祥而振奋人心的鸣声——如雁、鹤、‘百瓣鸟’(śatapatra)与叉娑鸟(cāṣa)——又见战士欢欣昂扬、精神充沛、勇气充盈之时,这也被宣为吉相,预示胜利将至。”

माडल्यशब्दान्auspicious (māḍalya) cries/words
माडल्यशब्दान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमाडल्यशब्द
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
शकुनाःbirds/omens
शकुनाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशकुन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
वदन्तिutter/say
वदन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootवद्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
हंसाःswans
हंसाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootहंस
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
क्रौञ्चाःcranes/curlews
क्रौञ्चाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootक्रौञ्च
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
शतपत्राःlotus-like (lit. hundred-petaled) birds (a named bird/epithet)
शतपत्राः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशतपत्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चाषाःblue-jays/blue-throated birds (cāṣa)
चाषाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचाष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
हृष्टाःdelighted, exhilarated
हृष्टाः:
TypeAdjective
Rootहृष्ट
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
योधाःwarriors/soldiers
योधाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयोध
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सत्त्ववन्तःpossessing courage/strength
सत्त्ववन्तः:
TypeAdjective
Rootसत्त्ववत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
भवन्तिbecome/are
भवन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
जयस्यof victory
जयस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootजय
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
एतत्this
एतत्:
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
भाविनःfuture, impending
भाविनः:
TypeAdjective
Rootभाविन्
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
रूपम्sign/form
रूपम्:
TypeNoun
Rootरूप
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
आहुःthey say/declare
आहुः:
TypeVerb
Rootअह्
FormPerfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
H
haṃsa (geese/swans)
K
krauñca (cranes)
Ś
śatapatra (a bird)
C
cāṣa (a bird)
Y
yodhāḥ (warriors)
J
jaya (victory)

Educational Q&A

Victory is not read only from weapons and numbers; traditional dharma-texts also attend to morale and auspicious indicators. Here, the warriors’ inner steadiness (sattva) and confident joy, together with favorable natural signs, are presented as marks of impending success.

In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on royal and practical wisdom. In this verse he lists battlefield omens: when certain birds cry in a propitious manner and the troops appear enthusiastic and courageous, it is taken as a favorable sign that victory is near.