Mahabharata · 7.72.14–15
॥
Devanāgarī
भक्षयन्तः स्म मांसानि पिबन्तश् चापि शोणितम् ॥
विलुम्पन्तः स्म केशांश् च मज्जाश् च बहुधा नृप ॥
आकर्षन्तः शरीराणि शरीरावयवांस् तथा ॥
नराश्वगजसंघानां शिरांसि च ततस् ततः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhakṣayantaḥ sma māṃsāni pibantaś cāpi śoṇitam ||
vilumpantaḥ sma keśāṃś ca majjāś ca bahudhā nṛpa ||
ākarṣantaḥ śarīrāṇi śarīrāvayavāṃs tathā ||
narāśvagajasaṃghānāṃ śirāṃsi ca tatas tataḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
भक्षयन्तः स्म मांसानिbhakṣayantaḥ sma māṃsānidevouring flesh; devouring flesh
पिबन्तः च अपि शोणितम्pibantaḥ ca api śoṇitamand drinking blood; and drinking blood
विलुम्पन्तः स्म केशान् चvilumpantaḥ sma keśān caand tearing out hair; and tearing out hair
मज्जाः च बहुधा नृपmajjāḥ ca bahudhā nṛpaand marrow in abundance, O king; and marrow in abundance, O sovereign
आकर्षन्तः शरीराणिākarṣantaḥ śarīrāṇidragging bodies; dragging bodies
शरीरावयवान् तथाśarīrāvayavān tathāand parts of bodies; and parts of bodies
नराश्वगजसंघानाम्narāśvagajasaṃghānāmof men, horses, hosts of elephants; of men, horses, hosts of elephants
शिरांसि च ततः ततःśirāṃsi ca tataḥ tataḥand heads -- here and there; and heads -- here and there
Translation
Devouring flesh and drinking blood, tearing out hair and marrow in abundance, O king, dragging bodies and parts of bodies, and the heads of men, horses, hosts of elephants -- here and there.
Version
7f0eb22e6f69 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The feast of the scavengers is described without embellishment: they 'bhakṣayantaḥ... pibantaḥ... vilumpantaḥ... ākarṣantaḥ,' devour, drink, tear, drag. The poem does not turn away from the horror. It is significant that this is the fearlessness of truth: the horror of war is shown in its fullness. The verse teaches that honest witness does not embellish slaughter: it shows it in all its repulsiveness -- torn bodies, creatures drinking blood; and only one who sees war as it truly is will truly hate it and come to love peace.