Shloka 5
Rājarṣi-samāgamaḥ — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharma-parīkṣā ca
Meeting the Royal Sage and a Dharmic Audit
सलोहिता दिशश्वासन् खरवाचो मृगद्धिजा: । तमोवृतमभूत् सर्व न प्राज्ञायत किंचन,सम्पूर्ण दिशाएँ लाल हो गयी, मृग और पक्षी कठोर शब्द करने लगे, सारा जगत् अन्धकारसे आच्छन्न हो गया और किसीको कुछ भी सूझ नहीं पड़ता था
salohitā diśaśvāsan kharavāco mṛgadvijāḥ | tamovṛtam abhūt sarvaṁ na prājñāyata kiñcana ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The quarters seemed to flush red, while beasts and birds cried out with harsh, ominous calls. Darkness covered everything, and nothing could be clearly perceived. The scene signals a moral disturbance in the world-order—an outward manifestation of inner disorder—warning that when adharma rises, nature itself appears to recoil and human discernment fails.
वैशम्पायन उवाच