Shloka 20
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
प्रधाना: सर्वलोकस्य यास्वायत्तमिदं जगत् | ता गाव: प्रस्नुता वत्सै: शोणितं प्रक्षरन्त्युत
pradhānāḥ sarvalokasya yāsv āyattam idaṃ jagat | tā gāvaḥ prasnutā vatsaiḥ śoṇitaṃ prakṣaranty uta ||
Sapi-sapi itu—yang dipandang sebagai yang utama bagi semua dunia dan yang kepadanya alam semesta ini bergantung—ketika diperah oleh anak-anaknya, tampak mengalirkan darah dari putingnya.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dharma declines, the natural and moral order is disturbed; even the most revered and nurturing beings (cows, treated as mothers) are afflicted. The verse uses a shocking image to warn that collective wrongdoing and impending violence manifest as suffering and ominous signs in the world.
Vyāsa is describing inauspicious portents connected with the approaching conflict. Among these signs, cows—normally symbols of nourishment and auspiciousness—are depicted as bleeding when their calves suckle, indicating a world out of balance on the eve of war.