Shloka 13
Kaurava Court Hears of the Pāṇḍavas’ Forest Hardship (वैचित्रवीर्यवंशीयस्य राज्ञः करुणाविचारः)
लोहितैश्व धनैर्युक्तां पूर्वा संध्यां शतक्रतुः । अपश्यल्लोहितोदं च भगवान् वरुणालयम्,ऐश्वर्यशाली इन्द्रने देखा, पूर्वसंध्या (प्रभात)-का समय है, प्राचीके आकाशमें लाल रंगके घने बादल घिर आये हैं और समुद्रका जल भी लाल ही दृष्टिगोचर हो रहा है
lohitaish ca dhanair yuktāṃ pūrvāṃ sandhyāṃ śatakratuḥ | apaśyal lohitodaṃ ca bhagavān varuṇālayaṃ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya sprach: Indra, der Herr von hundert Opfern, sah die östliche Dämmerung von dichten karmesinroten Wolken durchtränkt; und er sah auch die erhabene Wohnstatt Varuṇas, deren Wasser rot erschien.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a striking natural omen—crimson dawn and reddened waters—to suggest that moral and cosmic disturbances manifest in the world’s appearance. It frames forthcoming events as ethically weighty, implying that actions of gods and kings resonate with ṛta (cosmic order).
Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that Indra observes the eastern twilight filled with red, dense cloud-masses and sees Varuṇa’s oceanic abode with waters appearing red—an atmospheric sign that sets a foreboding tone for what follows.