Shloka 41
Bhīmasena–Hanūmān Saṃvāda: The Tail Test and the Divine Path
ऋक्षाश्नोत्ससजुर्वक्षांस्तत्यजुर्हरयों गुहाम् । व्यजृम्भन्त महासिंहा महिषाश्वावलोकयन्,रीछोंने वृक्षोंका आश्रय छोड़ दिया, सिंहोंने गुफाएँ त्याग दीं, बड़े-बड़े सिंह जँभाई लेने लगे और जंगली भैंसे दूरसे ही उनकी ओर देखने लगे
ṛkṣāś ca utsasajur vṛkṣān tatyajur harayo guhām | vyajṛmbhanta mahāsiṃhā mahiṣāśvāvalokayan ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Even the bears abandoned the shelter of the trees, and the tawny lions left their caves. Great lions began to yawn, while wild buffaloes and horses looked on from a distance—signs that the very order of the forest was unsettled, as if nature itself were responding to an extraordinary disturbance.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary events can manifest as disturbances in the natural world; in epic ethics, such omens prompt attentiveness, restraint, and discernment rather than complacency.
The forest animals behave unusually—bears leave trees, lions leave caves and yawn, and buffaloes and horses watch from afar—creating an ominous atmosphere that signals an impending or significant development.