Shloka 24
Bhīṣma’s Retrospective of the Jāmadagnya Rāma Encounter
Divyāstra-Pratiyuddha and Twilight Cessation
दीप्तायां दिशि गोमायुर्दारुणं मुहुरुन्नदत् । अनाहता दुन्दुभयो विनेदुर्भशनि:स्वना:,दिशाओंमें दाह-सा होने लगा, गीदड़ बार-बार भयंकर बोली बोलने लगा, दुन्दुभियाँ बिना बजाये ही जोर-जोरसे बजने लगीं
dīptāyāṃ diśi gomāyur dāruṇaṃ muhur unnadata | anāhatā dundubhayo vinedur bhaśaniḥ-svanāḥ ||
Bhīṣma sprach: „In einer Richtung schien der Himmel zu lodern, als stünde er in Flammen. Immer wieder ließ ein Schakal einen schaurigen Ruf hören, und Kriegstrommeln, von keiner Hand geschlagen, dröhnten laut wie der Krachen des Donners.“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dharma is disturbed and a great conflict is about to unfold, nature itself is portrayed as reflecting that imbalance through ominous signs; the passage warns that adharma brings collective suffering and unavoidable consequences.
Bhīṣma reports inauspicious portents—an eerie blaze in a direction, repeated jackal howls, and drums sounding without being struck—foreshadowing the imminent calamity of the Kurukṣetra war.