Shloka 24
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 137 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa Counsel and the Ethics of Restraint
नगरं न यथापूर्व तथा राजनिवेशनम् | शिवाश्वाशिवनिर्घोषा दीप्तां सेवन्ति वै दिशम्,“इस नगर तथा राजभवनकी शोभा अब पहले-जैसी नहीं रही। सारी दिशाएँ जलती-सी प्रतीत होती हैं और उनमें अमंगलसूचक शब्द करती हुई गीदड़ियाँ फिर रही हैं
nagaraṁ na yathāpūrva tathā rājaniveśanam | śivāśvāśivanirghoṣā dīptāṁ sevanti vai diśam |
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, kota dan istana diraja tidak lagi tampak seperti dahulu. Segala penjuru seakan-akan menyala, dan serigala hutan (jackal) yang mengeluarkan jeritan sial berkeliaran di setiap arah.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a polity turns toward grave wrongdoing and conflict, the epic frames the world itself as reflecting moral disorder through ominous signs; such portents urge vigilance, restraint, and a return to dharma before catastrophe becomes inevitable.
The narrator describes a change in the atmosphere of the city and palace: their former splendor is gone, the directions appear as if burning, and jackals roam about making ominous cries—traditional epic signals that impending calamity (notably war and ruin) is near.