Shloka 23
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
पृथिवी शोणितावर्ता ध्वजोडुपसमाकुला । कुरूणां वैशसे राजन् पाण्डवैः सह भारत
pṛthivī śoṇitāvartā dhvajōḍupasamākulā | kurūṇāṃ vaiśase rājan pāṇḍavaiḥ saha bhārata ||
វ្យាសបានមានព្រះបន្ទូលថា៖ «ឱ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ ឱ កូនចៅភារត—ពេលកូរុទាំងឡាយចូលទៅក្នុងការសម្លាប់រង្គាលជាមួយបណ្ឌវៈ នោះផែនដីនឹងក្លាយជាលំហូរឈាម ក្រហមក្រហាយមានវង់ទឹកក្រហមកួចកង; ហើយទង់រថសង្គ្រាមនឹងមើលទៅរាលដាលលើលំហូរនោះ ដូចទូកតូចៗជាច្រើន»។
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses stark prophetic imagery to condemn the dehumanizing scale of war: when dharma collapses into vengeance and factional hatred, the result is not honor but mass slaughter that stains the earth itself. It implicitly warns rulers that permitting adharma-driven conflict makes them responsible for a catastrophe beyond individual combat.
Vyāsa addresses the king and foretells the imminent Kurukṣetra conflict: the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas will engage in a violent massacre so intense that blood will seem to flow like rivers with whirlpools, and chariot banners will look like small boats scattered across those bloody currents.