Shloka 31
सैनापत्ये यदा राजा गाड़ेयमभिषिक्तवान् | तदैतान्युग्ररूपाणि बभूवु: शतशो नृूप,नरेश्वर! राजा दुर्योधनने जब गंगानन्दन भीष्मको सेनापतिके पदपर अभिषिक्त किया, उसी समय ये सैकड़ों भयानक उत्पात प्रकट हुए
senāpatye yadā rājā gāṅgeyam abhiṣiktavān | tadaitāny ugrarūpāṇi babhūvuḥ śataśo nṛpa nareśvara ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O king, when Duryodhana installed Bhīṣma, the son of the Gaṅgā, as commander-in-chief, at that very moment hundreds of dreadful portents appeared.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a Mahābhārata motif: when political power and military preparation proceed under the shadow of adharma, nature and circumstance manifest ominous signs. It cautions that strategic success is not the only measure—ethical alignment (dharma) conditions the moral and cosmic atmosphere surrounding action.
As the Kurukṣetra war approaches, Duryodhana formally appoints Bhīṣma (Gaṅgā’s son) as commander-in-chief. Immediately, numerous terrifying portents appear, foreshadowing the catastrophic conflict and signaling the grave consequences of the unfolding decisions.