Mahabharata 16.1.2 — Mausala Parva, Adhyaya 1, Shloka 2

अध्याय १: उत्पात-दर्शनम् तथा वृष्णि-विनाश-श्रवणम्

Omens Observed and the Hearing of the Vṛṣṇi Destruction

Devanagari script

ववुर्वाताश्व निर्घाता रूक्षा: शर्करवर्षिण: । अपसव्यानि शकुना मण्डलानि प्रचक्रिरे

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | vavur vātāś ca nirghātā rūkṣāḥ śarkaravarṣiṇaḥ | apasavyāni śakunā maṇḍalāni pracakrire ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ລົມຮຸນແຮງອັນກະທັນຫັນໄດ້ພັດຂຶ້ນ ພ້ອມສຽງຟ້າຮ້ອງກັມກືນ ແລະ ມັນໂຮຍຊາຍກັບກ້ອນກະດອນລົງດັ່ງຝົນ. ນົກທັງຫຼາຍກໍບິນວົນເປັນວົງກົມຢ່າງອັບມົງຄຸນ—ເປັນນິມິດທີ່ຊີ້ວ່າ ລະບຽບທັງທາງທຳມະ ແລະ ທາງທຳມະຊາດ ກຳລັງຖືກລົບກວນຢ່າງຫນັກ ແລະ ບອກລ່ວງໜ້າຖຶງຄວາມພິນາດທີ່ກຳລັງຈະມາ.

Word by Word

• ववुः: blew
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• वाताः: winds
• वाताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अश्वनिर्घाताः: horse-like thunderclaps / thunderous crashes
• अश्वनिर्घाताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वनिर्घात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रूक्षाः: harsh, rough
• रूक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शर्करवर्षिणः: raining gravel/pebbles
• शर्करवर्षिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर्करवर्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपसव्यानि: inauspicious; (moving) leftward / contrary to the auspicious direction
• अपसव्यानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपसव्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• शकुनाः: birds
• शकुनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मण्डलानि: circles, rings
• मण्डलानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• प्रचक्रिरे: made; formed; wheeled about
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्र्/कृ (चक्रे)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Plural, Atmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• winds
• thunderous crashes (nirghāta)
• gravel/pebbles (śarkarā)
• birds/omens (śakunāḥ)
• circular formations (maṇḍalāni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how adharma and impending collective downfall are mirrored by disturbances in nature; ominous signs function as ethical warnings, urging vigilance and restraint before irreversible harm unfolds.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the Mausala Parva begins, terrifying natural phenomena—violent winds, thunderous crashes, and showers of grit—appear, while birds circle in an inauspicious manner, signaling that a disastrous turn of events is near.