Mahabharata · 1.217.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणा विचेष्टन्तो महीतले ॥
तत्र तत्र स्म दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्तः शरीरिणः ॥
जलस्थानेषु सर्वेषु क्वाथ्यमानेषु भारत ॥
गतसत्त्वाः स्म दृश्यन्ते कूर्ममत्स्याः सहस्रशः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇā viceṣṭanto mahītale ||
tatra tatra sma dṛśyante vinaśyantaḥ śarīriṇaḥ ||
jalasthāneṣu sarveṣu kvāthyamāneṣu bhārata ||
gatasattvāḥ sma dṛśyante kūrmamatsyāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणाः विचेष्टन्तः महीतलेdagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇāḥ viceṣṭantaḥ mahītalewith wings, eyes, and legs burnt, writhing on the ground,
तत्र तत्र स्म दृश्यन्ते विनश्यन्तः शरीरिणःtatra tatra sma dṛśyante vinaśyantaḥ śarīriṇaḥhere and there the perishing creatures were seen;
जलस्थानेषु सर्वेषु क्वाथ्यमानेषु भारतjalasthāneṣu sarveṣu kvāthyamāneṣu bhāratain all the bodies of water, as they boiled, O Bharata,
गतसत्त्वाः स्म दृश्यन्ते कूर्ममत्स्याः सहस्रशःgatasattvāḥ sma dṛśyante kūrmamatsyāḥ sahasraśaḥturtles and fish, lifeless, were seen by the thousands;
दग्धपक्षाक्षिचरणाdagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇāoriginal form "dagdhapakṣākṣicaraṇā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विचेष्टन्तोviceṣṭantooriginal form "viceṣṭanto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"With wings, eyes, and legs burnt, writhing on the ground, the perishing creatures were seen here and there; in all the bodies of water, as they boiled, O Bharata, turtles and fish were seen lifeless by the thousands."
Version
80982996b4f4 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here death overtakes the creature in air, on earth, and in water alike. It is telling that even the creatures of the water perish in boiling pools: before this dreadful fire, no element saves. In this lies the all-encompassing reach of the calamity. Thus scripture reveals the fullness of the destruction, and to a compassionate heart it is grievous to behold the death of the small creatures.