Shloka 25

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय २: संजयस्य दिव्यदृष्टिप्रदानम् तथा निमित्तवर्णनम्

Granting Sañjaya Divine Sight and the Description of Omens

Devanagari script

अन्तरिक्षे वराहस्य वृषदंशस्य चो भयो: । प्रणादं युद्धयतो रात्रौ रौद्रं नित्यं प्रलक्षये,“सूअर और बिलाव दोनों आकाशमें उछल-उछलकर रातमें लड़ते और भयानक गर्जना करते हैं। यह बात मुझे प्रतिदिन दिखायी देती है

Transliteration

antarikṣe varāhasya vṛṣadaṃśasya cobhayoḥ | praṇādaṃ yuddhayato rātrau raudraṃ nityaṃ pralakṣaye ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “In the sky I continually behold, night after night, the fierce roaring of a boar and a vṛṣadaṃśa as they fight.” The line functions as an ominous portent: unnatural combat and terrifying sounds in the heavens signal a world slipping from order toward the violence of war, warning that adharma and destruction are drawing near.

Word by Word

अन्तरिक्षेin the sky/atmosphere

वराहस्यof the boar

वृषदंशस्यof the vṛṣadaṃśa (a kind of animal; often glossed as cat/ichneumon etc.)

चand

उभयोःof both

प्रणादम्roar/cry

युद्धयतोःof the two fighting

रात्रौat night

रौद्रम्terrible/fierce

नित्यम्always/daily

प्रलक्षयेI observe/notice

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

varāha (boar)

vṛṣadaṃśa (animal/creature)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata theme that moral and social breakdown is mirrored by disturbances in nature: terrifying, unnatural signs serve as warnings that violence and adharma are approaching, urging discernment and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a recurring nocturnal portent—two creatures (a boar and a vṛṣadaṃśa) battling in the sky with dreadful roaring—contributing to the atmosphere of impending catastrophe surrounding the great war.