Shloka 61
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
पुष्पाणां भरतश्रेष्ठ दिव्यानां पुण्यगन्धिनाम् । देवदुन्दुभयश्चापि नेदुस्तत्र महास्वना:
puṣpāṇāṃ bharataśreṣṭha divyānāṃ puṇyagandhinām | devadundubhayaś cāpi nedus tatra mahāsvanāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô le meilleur des Bharata ! Une pluie de fleurs célestes, parfumées d’une senteur sacrée, fut répandue ; et là même, les tambours divins (devadundubhi) retentirent d’un fracas puissant.» La scène marque une approbation solennelle, venue d’au-delà, comme si le cosmos tout entier attestait la gravité morale de ce qui venait d’advenir.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata motif that actions of great moral and historical weight are not merely human events: they are witnessed and, at times, marked by cosmic signs. Such omens suggest that dharma and karma operate on a scale larger than personal victory or defeat.
In the midst of the Shalya Parva’s war narrative, Vaiśampāyana describes a moment being honored by supernatural portents: heavenly flowers fall and divine drums thunder. This is a conventional epic signal that a significant deed or turning point has just taken place and is being acknowledged by higher beings.