Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 21

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय २: संजयस्य दिव्यदृष्टिप्रदानम् तथा निमित्तवर्णनम्

Granting Sañjaya Divine Sight and the Description of Omens

श्वेतलोहितपर्यन्ता: कृष्णग्रीवा: सविद्युत: । विवर्णा: परिघा: संधौ भानुमन्तमवारयन्‌

śvetalohitaparyantāḥ kṛṣṇagrīvāḥ savidyutaḥ | vivarṇāḥ parighāḥ sandhau bhānumantam avārayan ||

Waiśampāyana berkata: “Pada waktu senja, lingkaran-lingkaran pucat yang bertepi putih dan merah, dengan bagian tengah gelap laksana leher hitam, disertai kilat, tampak mengepung dan seakan menghalangi Surya yang bercahaya.”

श्वेतलोहितपर्यन्ताःhaving white and red at the ends
श्वेतलोहितपर्यन्ताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootश्वेत-लोहित-पर्यन्त
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
कृष्णग्रीवाःhaving black necks/middles
कृष्णग्रीवाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootकृष्ण-ग्रीव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सविद्युतःwith lightning
सविद्युतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस-विद्युत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
विवर्णाःvariegated, multicolored
विवर्णाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविवर्ण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
परिघाःrings, circles, halos
परिघाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपरिघ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सन्धौat twilight, at the junction (of day and night)
सन्धौ:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसन्धि
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
भानुमन्तम्the radiant one (the Sun)
भानुमन्तम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभानुमन्त्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अवारयन्they surrounded/obstructed
अवारयन्:
TypeVerb
Root√वृ (वारयति)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
S
Sūrya (the Sun)
S
sandhyā (twilight)
V
vidyut (lightning)
P
parigha (circular bands/halos)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores how nature is portrayed as reflecting moral and social upheaval: ominous celestial signs accompany the approach of adharma-driven conflict, urging attentiveness to dharma amid crisis.

As the Kurukṣetra war nears, Vaiśampāyana describes a striking twilight sky where lightning-laced, multicolored bands appear to encircle and dim the Sun—an inauspicious portent.