Shloka 2.69.11
भरतस्य दुःस्वप्नदर्शनम् — Bharata’s Ominous Dream
स्वप्नेऽपि सागरं शुष्कं चन्द्रं च पतितं भवि।उपरुद्धां च जगतीं तमसेव समावृताम्।।।।औपवाह्यस्य नागस्य विषाणं शकलीकृतम्।सहसाचापि संशान्तं ज्वलितं जातवेदसम्।।।।अवतीर्णां च पृथिवीं शुष्कां श्च विविधान् द्रुमान्।अहं पश्यामि विध्वस्तान् सधूमांश्चापि पर्वतान्।।।।
svapne 'pi sāgaraṃ śuṣkaṃ candraṃ ca patitaṃ bhuvi | uparuddhāṃ ca jagatīṃ tamaseva samāvṛtām ||
aupavāhyasya nāgasya viṣāṇaṃ śakalīkṛtam | sahasā cāpi saṃśāntaṃ jvalitaṃ jātavedasam ||
avatīrṇāṃ ca pṛthivīṃ śuṣkāṃś ca vividhān drumān | ahaṃ paśyāmi vidhvastān sa-dhūmāṃś cāpi parvatān || 2.69.11 ||
Even in the dream I saw the sea dried up and the moon fallen to the ground; the world seemed choked and wrapped in darkness. I saw the tusk of a royal riding-elephant shattered; a blazing fire suddenly extinguished; the earth split, many kinds of trees dried up, and mountains ruined and smoking.
In that dream I beheld the sea being dried up and the Moon fallen onto the ground. I saw the earth as though enveloped by darkness and obscured, the tusk of an elephant worthy of a ride by the monarch broken into pieces, a blazing fire extinguished suddenly, the earth split open, various trees dried up and mountains crumbled and covered with smoke.
The imagery portrays a world out of joint—symbolizing that when dharma is violated at the center of the kingdom, nature and society appear to collapse; it presses the need to restore truth and righteous order.
Bharata’s dream intensifies with cosmic and royal symbols (moon, sea, elephant, fire) turning inauspicious, foreshadowing Daśaratha’s death and the rupture in Ayodhyā.
Truth-oriented discernment—Bharata is prepared (psychologically and ethically) to confront painful realities and act to re-establish righteousness.