Shloka 42
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
धूमं ध्वजा: प्रमुडचन्ति कम्पमाना मुहुर्मुहु: । मुज्चन्त्यज्रारवर्ष च भेर्यश्व॒ पटहास्तथा,ध्वज बारंबार कम्पित होकर धूआँ छोड़ते हैं। ढोल, नगाड़े अंगारोंकी वर्षा करते हैं
dhūmaṃ dhvajāḥ pramuñcanti kampamānā muhur muhuḥ | muñcanty aṅgāravarṣaṃ ca bheryaś ca paṭahās tathā ||
Panji-panji bergetar berulang-ulang seakan menghembuskan asap; genderang perang—bherī dan paṭaha—menggelegar seolah menumpahkan hujan bara. Bahkan lambang-lambang perang yang tak bernyawa pun menjadi pertanda mengerikan, seakan memperingatkan kehancuran yang digerakkan oleh adharma.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war, especially when driven by adharma, is accompanied by unsettling signs; it invites reflection on ethical responsibility and the grave consequences of violence, even before the fighting fully unfolds.
Vyāsa describes battlefield phenomena: banners repeatedly tremble and appear to give off smoke, and the war-drums (bhery and paṭaha) thunder as if casting a rain of sparks—an atmosphere of foreboding as the armies prepare.