Shloka 48
अस्त्रयुद्धे द्रौणिपार्थसंघर्षः — Karṇa’s Bhārgavāstra and the Search for Yudhiṣṭhira
Chapter 45
स्थितानभिमुखान् घोरानन्योन्यमभिभाषत: । “देखो, सहस्रों घोर कंक और गीध एकत्र होकर सामने खड़े हैं और आपसमें कुछ बोल भी रहे हैं ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
sthitān abhimukhān ghorān anyonyam abhibhāṣataḥ |
"dekho, sahasroṃ ghora kaṅka aur gīdha ekatra hokar sāmane khaṛe haiṃ aur āpas meṃ kuch bol bhī rahe haiṃ" ||
rajjitāś ca āmara-yuktās tava karṇa mahā-rathe |
pravarāḥ prajvalanty ete dhvajaś caiva prakampate |
"karṇa! tumhāre viśāl ratha meṃ baṃdhe hue ye raṅgīn aur śreṣṭha cāṃvara sahasā prajvalit ho uṭhe haiṃ aur tumhārī dhvajā bhī jor-jor se hilne lagī hai" ||
三阇耶说道：“看吧——可怖的鹭与兀鹫，成千上万地聚集，迎面而立，彼此呼叫。又啊，迦尔那！在你那宏大的战车上，华美而色彩鲜明的牦牛尾拂（cāmara）仿佛骤然燃起如火；你的旗幡也剧烈颤动。” 在《摩诃婆罗多》战争的道德氛围中，这些征兆并非徒然的奇观：它们昭示吉祥秩序的紊乱，并警告骄矜与侵暴正把战士们牵引向毁灭——在野心拒绝自制之处，催促人作出明辨。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical motif that adharma-driven warfare distorts the natural and moral order, manifesting as ominous signs. Such portents function as warnings: when power and pride ignore restraint, even royal symbols of honor (fans, banner) become unstable, hinting at impending downfall.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that fearful birds (herons and vultures) mass in front of the warriors and cry to one another—an inauspicious battlefield omen. He then addresses Karṇa directly, noting that the chariot’s royal fans appear to flare up and the banner shakes violently, signaling danger and ill fortune for Karṇa’s side.