Shloka 11
महोत्पात-लक्षणानि
Omens before Khara’s Assault
कबन्धः परिघाभासो दृश्यते भास्करान्तिके।।।।जग्राह सूर्यं स्वर्भानुरपर्वणि महाग्रहः।प्रवाति मारुतश्शीघ्रं निष्प्रभोऽभूद्दिवाकरः।।।।
kabandhaḥ parighābhāso dṛśyate bhāskarāntike |
jagrāha sūryaṃ svarbhānur aparvaṇi mahāgrahaḥ |
pravāti mārutaḥ śīghraṃ niṣprabho ’bhūd divākaraḥ || 3.23.11 ||
Ketu, brillant tel une barre de fer, fut aperçu près du soleil ; et bien que ce ne fût pas le temps prescrit du parvan, Svarbhānu (Rāhu), le grand graha, saisit le soleil en éclipse. Le vent souffla vivement, et l’astre du jour parut sans éclat.
The planet Ketu appeared like an iron beam near the Sun. Although it was not the fullmoon or newmoon day, Rahu eclipsed the Sun. Wind blew hard and the Sun was lustreless.
FAQs
The epic links moral disorder with cosmic unease: when adharma rises, the world seems to mirror it through unsettling signs, urging a return to righteous conduct.
Celestial anomalies—Ketu’s appearance and an untimely eclipse—occur as forewarnings of the impending destruction of Khara’s unrighteous campaign.
Reverence for ṛta/dharma (cosmic and moral order): recognizing that actions against dharma invite ruin.