Shloka 583
Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana
The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint
नद्यश्न सुमहावेगा: प्रतिस्रोतोवहा भवन् । नृपश्रेष्ठी तालाबों और कूपोंमें रक्तका उफान आने लगा और महान् वेगशालिनी नदियाँ उलटी अपने उद्गमकी ओर बहने लगीं
nadyas tu sumahāvegāḥ pratisrotovahā bhavan |
O best of kings, the rivers that once rushed with mighty force began to flow against their own current, turning back toward their sources; and in pools and wells there surged an upwelling of blood.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
When adharma intensifies—especially through mass violence—its effects are portrayed as cosmic: the natural order itself seems to invert. The verse uses ominous signs to underscore ethical collapse and the inevitability of consequence.
Vāyu-deva reports terrifying portents: rivers reverse their flow and water sources appear to surge with blood. These are presented as war-omens indicating imminent catastrophe and the world’s disturbance during the Kurukṣetra conflict.