Shloka 74
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
एतानि जयमानानां लक्षणानि विशाम्पते | भवन्ति विपरीतानि मुमूर्षणां जनाधिप
etāni jayamānānāṁ lakṣaṇāni viśāmpate | bhavanti viparītāni mumūrṣaṇāṁ janādhipa ||
व्यास उवाच—एतानि जयमानानां लक्षणानि, विशाम्पते; मुमूर्षणां तु जनाधिप, एतान्येव विपरीतानि भवन्ति, अशुभानि निमित्तानि च।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The same phenomena can signify opposite outcomes depending on one’s destiny: auspicious omens accompany those moving toward victory, while for the death-bound the signs invert and become inauspicious—highlighting the Mahābhārata’s theme of fate operating alongside human effort.
Vyāsa addresses the king and explains the logic of battlefield omens: signs that indicate success for one side may appear reversed for those nearing destruction, preparing the listener to interpret portents around the coming conflict.