Shloka 6
Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard
दिक्ष्वशान्तानि घोराणि व्याहरन्ति मृगद्धिजा: । नीचैर्गुध्रा निलीयन्ते भारतानां चमूं प्रति,“सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें पशु और पक्षी अशान्तिपूर्ण भयंकर बोली बोल रहे हैं। गीध नीचे आकर कौरव-सेनामें छिप रहे हैं
dikṣv aśāntāni ghorāṇi vyāharanti mṛgadvijāḥ | nīcair gṛdhrā nilīyante bhāratānāṃ camūṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: “In every direction, beasts and birds are uttering restless, dreadful cries. Vultures are swooping low and hiding themselves toward the Bhāratas’ army—an ominous sign.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how nature mirrors moral disorder: inauspicious cries and vultures signal impending destruction, reminding that war—especially when driven by adharma—invites suffering and grim consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the ominous portents around the battlefield: animals and birds cry fearfully in all directions, and vultures gather low near the Bhārata (Kaurava) host, foreshadowing heavy casualties.