यदा त्रीणि समेतानि अन्तरिक्षे पुराणि च
yadā trīṇi sametāni antarīkṣe purāṇi ca
Vyāsa berkata: “Ketika ketiganya berhimpun di tengah angkasa, dan pertanda-pertanda purba pun turut tampak…”
व्यास उवाच
The verse fragment points to the Mahābhārata motif that moral disorder on earth is reflected by disturbances or conjunctions in the heavens: as adharma intensifies, signs appear that warn of the consequences of collective actions, especially in war.
Vyāsa begins describing a moment when “three” things converge in the sky, along with “ancient” signs—an introduction to an omen-laden passage that frames the unfolding events of the Kurukṣetra war as being accompanied by cosmic portents.