Shloka 13

उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents

Devanagari script

धूमकेतुर्महाघोर: पुष्यं चाक्रम्य तिष्ठति । सेनयोरशिवं घोर करिष्यति महाग्रह:,अत्यन्त भयंकर धूमकेतु पुष्य नक्षत्रपर आक्रमण करके वहीं स्थित हो रहा है। यह महान्‌ उपग्रह दोनों सेनाओंका घोर अमंगल करेगा

Transliteration

Dhūmaketur mahāghoraḥ Puṣyaṃ cākramya tiṣṭhati | Senayor aśivaṃ ghoraṃ kariṣyati mahāgrahaḥ ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “A terribly fearsome comet has advanced upon the Puṣya constellation and now stands there. This mighty celestial portent will bring dreadful ill-omen upon both armies.”

Word by Word

धूमकेतुःthe comet

महाघोरःvery terrible

पुष्यम्Pushya (lunar mansion)

चand

आक्रम्यhaving attacked/overrun

तिष्ठतिstands/remains

सेनयोःof the two armies

अशिवम्inauspiciousness, ill-omen

घोरम्terrible

करिष्यतिwill do/cause

महाग्रहःthe great planet/omen (graha)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Dhūmaketu (comet)

Puṣya (nakṣatra)

the two armies (Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces)

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 that when adharma drives a conflict, nature and the heavens are portrayed as reflecting moral disorder through ominous signs; such portents warn that collective violence brings suffering to all sides, not only to the ‘enemy’.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa reports a terrifying comet positioned near/over the Puṣya nakṣatra, interpreting it as a powerful omen that will cause grave inauspicious consequences for both the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava armies as the war approaches.