Shloka 9
Bhīmasena’s Capture by the Serpent and Nahūṣa’s Self-Disclosure (भीमसेन-भुजङ्गग्रहणं नहुषोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)
शैलाक्षापि व्यदीर्यन्त न ववी च समीरण: न बभासे सहस्रांशुर्न जज्वाल च पावक:,पर्वत विदीर्ण होने लगे और हवाकी गति रुक गयी। सूर्यकी प्रभा फीकी पड़ गयी और आगका जलना बंद हो गया
śailākṣā api vyadīryanta na vavī ca samīraṇaḥ | na babhāse sahasrāṃśur na jajvāla ca pāvakaḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Even the rocky mountains began to split apart; the wind ceased to blow. The thousand-rayed sun lost its radiance, and fire no longer blazed—signs that the very order of nature was shaken by the dreadful turn of events.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dharma is threatened or a grave, unrighteous turning point occurs, the epic often depicts nature itself as reacting. The verse uses cosmic omens—wind stilled, sun dimmed, fire quenched—to signal moral and existential disturbance, urging the listener to recognize the seriousness of the unfolding action.
Vaiśampāyana narrates extraordinary portents: mountains crack, the wind stops, the sun’s brilliance fades, and fire fails to burn. These are narrative markers that something momentous and ominous has occurred or is about to occur, heightening suspense and indicating a disruption of the normal order.