Shloka 28
एवं तेषु नराग्र्येषु निर्यत्सु गजसाह्वयात् । अनभ्रे विद्युतश्नासन् भूमिश्व समकम्पत
evaṁ teṣu narāgryeṣu niryatsu gajasāhvayāt | anabhre vidyutaḥ śnāsan bhūmiś ca samakampata ||
Vidura said: As those foremost of men set out from Hastināpura, lightning flashed in a cloudless sky, and the earth itself began to tremble—ominous portents marking the moral gravity of what was about to unfold.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma-laden political actions are accompanied (in epic narrative logic) by unsettling portents. Nature’s disturbance mirrors ethical disturbance, warning that decisions taken without righteousness can destabilize the world-order.
Vidura describes ominous signs occurring as the leading men depart from Hastināpura: lightning appears despite a cloudless sky and the earth trembles. These signs foreshadow impending turmoil and signal that the departure is tied to grave consequences.