Shloka 39
Droṇasya raudra-prayogaḥ
Droṇa’s intensified assault and the Pāṇḍava response
परिवेषो महांश्वापि सविद्युत्स्तनयित्नुमान्
pariveṣo mahāṁś cāpi savidyut-stanayitnumān
Sañjaya said: “A vast halo appeared as well—accompanied by lightning and thunder.” In the war-narrative, this functions as an ominous celestial sign, suggesting that nature itself mirrors the moral gravity and impending calamity of the conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata motif that adharma and massive violence are reflected in unsettling natural portents; the cosmos is portrayed as morally responsive, warning of destructive consequences.
Sañjaya reports a striking atmospheric phenomenon—a large halo with lightning and thunder—presented as a portent occurring amid the events of the Drona Parva war sequence.