Chapter 4.34 - The Shyena (Shikra) in the Epics

In Literature, Syena is a bird of prey and has been identified variously as a hawk, a falcon, an eagle, an owl or a vulture.In the Mahabharata, Shyenavyuha was arranged on the war field. It was arranged by Yudhishtira. In the place of the beak, Yudhishtira himself was present. In the place of the wings, Nakula and Sahadeva were placed and in the rear Bhima was present.

Shyenas are of two types.^[1]

They are red in colour, have white feet and pointed beak. They look very attractive when their wings are spread out. They prefer to eat flesh. They travel long distances in the sky with immense speed. They like to wander in different kinds of forests. Their special characteristics are their rough hair and strong feet. They have sharp eyesight. They are difficult to capture and they do not like human scent. They kill other birds ruthlessly.

Another variety is Shashadana (Shahin Falcon). They are very tallwith white wings and smoke-grey colour. They have red beak and red foot soles. They are cruel in nature and they are fond of adventure. They have ugly hair, harsh shrieks and foul-smelling bodies. They fight among themselves and are a great threat to all other birds. They do not like human beings anywhere near them. They mainly eat rabbits and rats. They can withstand hunger, thirst and cold for long periods. Some of these birds have saffron colour on their neck. Some have variegated spots on their body. They fly very fast and can traverse long distances. They build their nests on tree tops. They have the capacity to swoop down on the prey within seconds and kill them. They are not found in large numbers.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mrigapakshishastra [mriga-pakshi-shastra] II.25.197b