Shloka 396
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
वृक्षा: पतन्ति चैत्याश्व ग्रामेषु नगरेषु च । बालू और कंकड़ खींचकर बरसानेवाले भयानक बवंडर उठकर वृक्षोंको उखाड़ डालते हैं। गाँवों तथा नगरोंमें वृक्ष और चैत्यवृक्ष प्रचण्ड आँधियों तथा बिजलीके आघातोंसे टूटकर गिर रहे हैं
vṛkṣāḥ patanti caityāśva grāmeṣu nagareṣu ca |
Vyāsa said: Trees are falling—both in villages and in cities. Sacred trees at shrines are also being torn down, as terrifying whirlwinds that hurl sand and stones rise up and uproot them. These violent gales, together with the blows of lightning, are breaking and casting down trees everywhere—an ominous sign that the moral order is being shaken as the great war approaches.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames natural upheaval as a moral and cosmic warning: when adharma intensifies and a catastrophic conflict is imminent, the world itself appears disturbed. It urges attentiveness to ethical decline and its far-reaching consequences.
Vyāsa reports fearful portents: violent winds and lightning are toppling ordinary and sacred trees in villages and cities. These signs foreshadow the impending devastation of the Kurukṣetra war.