Shloka 19
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय २: संजयस्य दिव्यदृष्टिप्रदानम् तथा निमित्तवर्णनम्
Granting Sañjaya Divine Sight and the Description of Omens
निर्दयं चाभिवाशन्तो भैरवा भयवेदिन: । कड्का: प्रयान्ति मध्येन दक्षिणामभितो दिशम्
nirdayaṃ cābhivāśanto bhairavā bhayavedinaḥ | kaṅkāḥ prayānti madhyena dakṣiṇām abhito diśam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Dengan jeritan yang keras dan kasar, burung-burung kaṅka yang menggerunkan—tanda yang meramalkan ketakutan—melintas di tengah-tengah bala tentera lalu bergerak menuju ke arah selatan.” Dalam bahasa alamat epik, burung pemakan bangkai yang mendekati medan perang menandakan pembantaian yang bakal tiba, dan makhluk pemakan daging akan mengerumuni yang gugur, termasuk kuda dan gajah.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses omen imagery to underline the moral gravity of war: violence draws death and scavengers, and nature itself appears to warn of the consequences. It frames the coming battle as a dharmic crisis where choices lead to inevitable suffering.
As the armies prepare, ominous birds (kaṅkas) cry harshly and fly through the ranks toward the south, a direction traditionally associated with Yama and death. Their behavior is presented as a sign of imminent carnage on the battlefield.