Shloka 7
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
प्रस्थितस्य च कर्णस्य निपेतुस्तुरगा भुवि । अस्थिवर्ष च पतितमन्तरिक्षाद् भयानकम्,कर्णके प्रस्थान करते ही उसके घोड़े पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े और आकाशसे हडियोंकी भयंकर वर्षा होने लगी
prasthitasya ca karṇasya nipetusturagā bhuvi | asthivarṣa ca patitamantarikṣād bhayānakam |
Sañjaya said: “As Karṇa set out, his horses suddenly collapsed upon the earth, and from the sky there fell a dreadful shower of bones—an ominous portent.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how unrighteous conflict is accompanied by ominous signs, suggesting that moral disorder (adharma) and accumulated karma manifest as forebodings of downfall even before the decisive events unfold.
As Karṇa begins his advance, his horses collapse, and a terrifying shower of bones falls from the sky—presented by Sañjaya as a portent indicating grave danger and an inauspicious turn for Karṇa’s undertaking.