Shloka 6
Sainyavinyāsa–Lakṣaṇa (Disposition of Armies and Battlefield Omens) | सैन्यविन्यास–लक्षणम्
चक्रे वायु: पृष्ठत: पाण्डवानां धार्तराष्ट्रज्शवापदा व्याहरन्त । गजेन्द्राणां मदगन्धां श्व॒ तीव्रान् न सेहिरे तव पुत्रस्य नागा:
cakre vāyuḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrāś ca śvapadā vyāharan | gajendrāṇāṃ madagandhāṃś ca tīvrān na sehire tava putrasya nāgāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The wind blew from behind the Pāṇḍavas, while on the Kaurava side the wild beasts cried out ominously. And your son’s elephants could not endure the sharp, overpowering scent of musth from the lordly elephants.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how nature and battlefield omens are read as indicators of moral and strategic momentum: favorable conditions align with the side perceived as more righteous, while fear and disorder appear among the opposing forces.
Sañjaya reports signs on the battlefield: the wind supports the Pāṇḍavas from behind, ominous cries arise among the Kaurava side, and Duryodhana’s elephants are unsettled and unable to bear the intense must-scent of powerful elephants—suggesting disadvantage for the Kauravas.