Shloka 40
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
अथ संनहामानेषु सैन्येषु भरतर्षभ । निष्प्रभो5 भ्युद्ययौ सूर्य: सघोष॑ भूश्चचाल च
atha saṃnahāmāneṣu sainyeṣu bharatarṣabha | niṣprabho 'bhyudyayau sūryaḥ saghoṣaṃ bhūś cacāla ca ||
संजय बोले— हे भरतश्रेष्ठ! जब दोनों पक्षों की सेनाएँ युद्ध के लिए पूर्णतः सन्नद्ध होकर खड़ी हो गईं, तब सूर्य की प्रभा म्लान पड़ गई और भारी, अशुभ गर्जना के साथ पृथ्वी काँप उठी।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the outbreak of war as a dharmic crisis reflected in nature itself: when collective violence becomes imminent, cosmic signs—dimmed sunlight and a trembling earth—signal moral and existential gravity, urging reflection on the consequences of adharma and unchecked ambition.
As both sides complete their battle preparations, Sañjaya reports ominous portents to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: the sun appears lusterless and the earth shakes with a loud roar, heightening the sense that a catastrophic confrontation is about to begin.