Shloka 12

Devanagari script

श्वेतो ग्रहस्तथा चित्रां समतिक्रम्य तिष्ठति । अभावं हि विशेषेण कुरूणां तत्र पश्यति,केतु चित्राका अतिक्रमण करके स्वातीपर स्थित हो रहा है; उसकी विशेषरूपसे कुरुवंशके विनाशपर ही दृष्टि है

Transliteration

śveto grahas tathā citrāṃ samatikramya tiṣṭhati | abhāvaṃ hi viśeṣeṇa kurūṇāṃ tatra paśyati |

Translation

Vyāsa said: “The bright planet (Śveta) has crossed beyond Citrā and now stands at Svātī. In this sign, it seems to gaze especially upon the coming ruin of the Kurus.”

Word by Word

श्वेतःwhite

ग्रहःplanet (Graha)

तथाthus; likewise

चित्राम्Chitrā (lunar mansion)

समतिक्रम्यhaving completely passed beyond

तिष्ठतिstands; remains

अभावम्non-existence; destruction

हिindeed; for

विशेषेणespecially; in particular

कुरूणाम्of the Kurus

तत्रthere; in that matter

पश्यतिsees; beholds

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Śveta-graha (bright planet)

Citrā (nakṣatra)

Svātī (nakṣatra, implied by context)

Kurus (Kuru lineage)

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 frames the war’s approach through cosmic omens: when rulers and societies deviate from dharma, the world itself appears to signal impending collapse. It underscores moral causality—collective adharma culminates in collective ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa reports an ominous astral configuration: the bright planet called Śveta has moved past the nakṣatra Citrā and is stationed at Svātī. This is interpreted as a portent specifically indicating the downfall of the Kuru line amid the coming conflict.