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 ||
Vyāsa narrates the ominous portents of the battlefield: the standards (flags) tremble again and again and seem to emit smoke, while the war-drums—kettledrums and other percussion—resound as though they are showering sparks. The scene heightens the moral gravity of the coming slaughter, suggesting that even inanimate emblems of war participate in the foreboding of adharma-driven destruction.
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.