Shloka 8
Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard
कड्का गृश्रा बलाकाश्च व्याहरन्ति मुहुर्मुहुः । शिवाश्रवैवाशिवा घोरा वेदयन्त्यो महद् भयम्,(ववाशिरे भयकरा दीप्तास्याभिमुखे रवे: ।) “कंक, गीध और बगले बारंबार बोल रहे हैं। अमंगलमयी घोररूपवाली गीदड़ियाँ महान् भयकी सूचना देती हुई सूर्यकी ओर मुँह करके भयानक बोली बोला करती हैं और उनका मुँह प्रजजलित-सा जान पड़ता है
sañjaya uvāca | kaṅkā gṛdhrā balākāś ca vyāharanti muhur muhuḥ | śivāś caiva aśivā ghorā vedayantyo mahad bhayam | vavāśire bhayakarā dīptāsyābhimukhe raveḥ ||
Dijo Sañjaya: «Garzas, buitres y grullas no cesan de graznar una y otra vez. Y las terribles chacales hembras—funestas por su propia naturaleza—lanzan aullidos espantosos, como anunciando un gran terror, de cara al sol, con las fauces que parecen arder en llamas».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: nature itself is portrayed as signaling impending calamity. Such omens function as a reminder that adharma and mass violence invite भय (fear) and ruin, urging reflection on righteous conduct even amid inevitable conflict.
Sañjaya reports ominous signs on the battlefield—birds and she-jackals repeatedly crying and howling, turned toward the sun—interpreted as foretelling great danger and terror as the war intensifies.