Shloka 76
Ajñātavāsa-saṅkalpaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Resolve and Dhaumya’s Exempla on Concealment
एता घोरं शिवा नादान् दिशं दक्षिणपश्चिमाम् । आस्थाय विरुवन्त्युग्रा: कम्पयन्त्यो मनो मम,“दक्षिण और पश्चिमके कोणकी दिशामें जाकर ये उग्र सियारिनें भयंकर शब्द कर रही हैं, जिससे मेरा हृदय काँप उठता है
etā ghoraṃ śivā nādān diśaṃ dakṣiṇapaścimām | āsthāya viruvanty ugrāḥ kampayantyo mano mama ||
“These fierce she-jackals, having taken their station in the south‑western quarter, are raising dreadful cries; their ominous howling makes my mind tremble.”
यम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical value of attentiveness and discernment: ominous signs in the world (here, the fearful howling of jackals in a specific quarter) are presented as warnings against complacency, urging prudent, dharmic action in the face of impending danger.
Yama describes a portent: fierce she-jackals have gathered in the south‑western direction and are emitting terrifying cries. Their sound is so inauspicious and intense that it makes his mind/heart tremble, signaling that something threatening is near.