Shloka 56
Bhīmasena–Hanūmān Saṃvāda: The Tail Test and the Divine Path
त॑ शब्द सहसा श्रुत्वा मृगपक्षिसमीरितम् । जलार्दपक्षा विहगा: समुत्पेतु: सहस्रश:,मृगों और पक्षियोंके उस भयसूचक शब्दको सहसा सुनकर सहस्रों पक्षी आकाशमें उड़ने लगे। उन सबकी पाँखें जलसे भीगी हुई थीं
taṁ śabdaṁ sahasā śrutvā mṛga-pakṣi-samīritam | jalārda-pakṣā vihagāḥ samutpetuḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing at once that alarm-raising cry, stirred up among the beasts and birds, thousands of birds suddenly took flight. Their wings were wet with water, and in fear they rose into the sky—an omen-like disturbance in the forest’s natural order.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a sudden disturbance ripples through the natural world: fear spreads instantly, and even creatures with wet wings abandon safety. In the Mahābhārata’s narrative style, such disruptions often function as portents—signals that unseen danger or a significant event is near—inviting attentiveness and restraint rather than complacency.
Vaiśampāyana describes an abrupt, fear-indicating sound arising among animals and birds. In response, thousands of water-wet-winged birds take off at once, filling the sky—depicting a forest scene suddenly thrown into alarm, typically foreshadowing an approaching presence or incident.