Shloka 31

Śaraṇāgata-Atithi-Dharma in the Kapota Narrative (कपोत-आख्यानम्—शरणागतधर्मः)

Devanagari script

कुक्कुटारावबहुल॑ गर्दभध्वनिनादितम्‌ । उदघोषद्धिः खरैरवाकक्‍्ये: कलहद्धिः परस्परम्‌

Transliteration

kukkūṭārāva-bahulaṁ gardabha-dhvani-nāditam | udaghoṣadbhis kharair avāk-śabdaḥ kalahadbhis parasparam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“那地方四面回响着公鸡频频啼鸣与驴子的嘶叫。嗓音粗厉的男人彼此争吵，喧哗成乱，互掷刻毒之言与诅咒。”

Word by Word

• कुक्कुटारावबहुलम्: abounding in the crowing of cocks
• कुक्कुटारावबहुलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुक्कुट-आराव-बहुल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• गर्दभध्वनिनादितम्: made resounding with the braying-sound of donkeys
• गर्दभध्वनिनादितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्दभ-ध्वनि-नादित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उदघोषद्भिः: by (those) shouting aloud
• उदघोषद्भिः: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-घुष्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• खरैः: by the donkeys / by the harsh ones
• खरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: खर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वाक्यैः: with words/speeches
• वाक्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• कलहद्भिः: by (those) quarrelling
• कलहद्भिः: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: कलह्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• परस्परम्: mutually / with one another
• परस्परम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• cocks (kukkūṭa)
• donkeys (gardabha/khara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a soundscape of coarse cries and mutual quarrelling to signal moral and social decline: when speech becomes harsh and people delight in conflict, the environment itself turns inauspicious and dharma is obscured.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes a noisy, disorderly scene filled with the crowing of cocks, the braying of donkeys, and people shouting and fighting among themselves, creating a clamour of abusive words.