Shloka 22
Varuṇābhiṣeka–Agni-anveṣaṇa–Kaubera-tīrtha
Varuṇa’s Consecration; Search for Agni; Kaubera Sacred Site
शशोलूकमुखी कृष्णा खरजड्घा महाजवा । शिशुमारमुखी श्वेता लोहिताक्षी विभीषणा
śaśolūkamukhī kṛṣṇā kharajaḍghā mahājavā | śiśumāramukhī śvetā lohitākṣī vibhīṣaṇā ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Yang satu berwarna gelap, berwajah seperti arnab atau burung hantu, dengan rahang kasar seperti keldai, dan amat pantas. Yang satu lagi berwarna putih, berwajah seperti ikan lumba-lumba, bermata merah, dan menggerunkan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily serves a narrative function: it uses vivid, unsettling zoological imagery to convey dread and the atmosphere of danger. Ethically, such descriptions underscore how war and impending calamity are accompanied by fear, distortion, and ominous signs, warning listeners about the destructive psychological landscape that surrounds violence.
Vaiśampāyana is describing frightening female figures/creatures (or ominous apparitions) characterized by animal-like faces, unusual coloration, and terrifying features. The emphasis on speed, red eyes, and monstrous faces heightens the sense of foreboding within the Shalya Parva’s war-time setting.