Shloka 15
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
ततो ववौ महाराज मारुतो लोमहर्षण: । राहुरग्रसदादित्यं युगपत् सोममेव च,महाराज! उस समय रोंगटे खड़े कर देनेवाली प्रचण्ड वायु चलने लगी। राहुने एक ही समय सूर्य और चन्द्रमा दोनोंको ग्रस लिये
tato vavau mahārāja māruto lomaharṣaṇaḥ | rāhur agrasad ādityaṃ yugapat somam eva ca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then, O great king, a fierce wind arose that made the hair stand on end. At that very moment Rāhu seized the Sun, and simultaneously the Moon as well—an ominous sign, as though the cosmic order itself were disturbed, mirroring the mounting tension of the tale.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary natural phenomena are read as moral and narrative signals in the Mahābhārata: when the cosmic order appears disturbed (violent winds, eclipses), it frames human actions as occurring under heightened ethical scrutiny and impending consequence.
A terrifying wind begins to blow, and an eclipse-like event is described: Rāhu 'seizes' the Sun and, at the same time, the Moon. This functions as an ominous portent marking a critical moment in the story.