Shloka 16
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
श्वेतो ग्रह: प्रजज्लित: सधूम इव पावक: । ऐन्द्रं तेजस्वि नक्षत्र ज्येष्ठामाक्रम्य तिषतति,केतु नामक उपग्रह धूमयुक्त अग्निके समान प्रज्वलित हो इन्द्रदेवतासम्बन्धी तेजस्वी ज्येष्ठा नक्षत्रपर जाकर स्थित है
śveto grahaḥ prajajlitaḥ sadhūma iva pāvakaḥ | aindraṃ tejasvi nakṣatraṃ jyeṣṭhām ākramya tiṣṭhati |
Vyāsa said: “A white celestial body blazes forth, like fire wreathed in smoke. That radiant object, associated with Indra, has advanced upon the nakṣatra Jyeṣṭhā and stands there.” In the war-foreboding atmosphere of Bhīṣma Parva, this omen signals a disturbance in the cosmic order, reflecting how adharma and impending violence cast their shadow even upon the heavens.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a celestial portent to suggest that moral disorder and impending mass violence are mirrored by disturbances in nature; when dharma is threatened, the world itself appears unsettled, urging vigilance and ethical reflection.
Vyāsa reports an ominous astronomical sign: a bright, smoke-like blazing ‘graha’ (comet/planetary portent) has moved onto the region of the lunar mansion Jyeṣṭhā, functioning as a forewarning in the lead-up to the Kurukṣetra war.