Shloka 2
Adhyāya 227: Duryodhana’s Deliberation and the Ghoṣa-yātrā Pretext
Dvaita-vana
स्त्रीपुंसोर्विपरीतं च तथा द्वन्द्धानि यानि च । ग्रहा दीप्ता दिश: खं च ररास च मही भूशम्,स्त्री-पुरुषोंका स्वभाव विपरीत हो गया। सर्दी आदि इन्होंनें भी (अद्भुत) परिवर्तन दिखायी देने लगा। ग्रह, दिशाएँ और आकाश ये सब जलने लगे और पृथ्वी जोर-जोरसे गर्जना-सी करने लगी
strī-puṃsor viparītaṃ ca tathā dvandvāni yāni ca | grahā dīptā diśaḥ khaṃ ca rarāsa ca mahī bhūśam ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “The natural dispositions of women and men became reversed, and the usual pairs of opposites (such as cold and heat) also appeared in strange alteration. The planets blazed; the directions and the sky seemed to burn; and the earth roared loudly, as if bellowing.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When dharma is disturbed, the text often depicts nature and society falling out of balance. The reversal of normal dispositions and the blazing of celestial signs function as ethical symbolism: adharma in human conduct is mirrored by disorder in the cosmos, warning listeners to restore right order through dharmic action.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes terrifying portents: social roles and temperaments seem inverted, natural dualities behave strangely, celestial bodies blaze, the quarters and sky appear to burn, and the earth roars. These signs signal an impending calamity or a grave turning point in the story.