The Great Epic of the Bhārata dynasty 6.3: tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ

6.3.1

vyāsa uvāca |
kharā goṣu prajāyante ramante mātṛbhiḥ sutāḥ |
anārtavaṃ puṣpaphalaṃ darśayanti vane drumāḥ || 1 ||

"Vyasa said,--'Asses are taking births in kine. Some are having sexual pleasure with mothers. The trees in the forests are exhibiting unseasonable flowers and fruits. Women quick with child, and even those that are not so, are giving birth to monsters. Carnivorous beasts, mingling with (carnivorous) birds, are feeding together. Ill-omened beasts, some having three horns, some with four eyes, some with five legs, some with two sexual organs, some with two heads, some with two tails, some having fierce teeth, are being born, and with mouths wide open are uttering unholy cries. Horses with three legs, furnished with crests, having four teeth, and endued with horns, are also being born. O king! in thy city is also seen that the wives of many utterers of Brahma are bringing forth Garudas and peacocks. The mare is bringing forth the cow-calf and the bitch is bringing forth, O king, jackals and cocks, and antelopes and parrots are all uttering inauspicious cries. Certain women are bringing forth four or five daughters (at a time), and these as soon as they are born, dance and sing and laugh. The members of the lowest orders are laughing and dancing and singing, and thus indicating direful consequences. Infants, as if urged by death, are drawing armed images, and are running against one another, armed with clubs, and desirous of battle are also breaking down the towns (they erect in sport). Lotuses of different kinds and lilies are growing on trees.

6.3.2

garbhiṇyo rājaputryaśca janayanti vibhīṣaṇān |
kravyādānpakṣiṇaścaiva gomāyūnaparānmṛgān || 2 ||

6.3.3

triviṣāṇāścaturnetrāḥ pañcapādā dvimehanāḥ |
dviśīrṣāśca dvipucchāśca daṃṣṭriṇaḥ paśavo'śivāḥ || 3 ||

6.3.4

jāyante vivṛtāsyāśca vyāharanto'śivā giraḥ |
tripadāḥ śikhinastārkṣyāścaturdaṃṣṭrā viṣāṇinaḥ || 4 ||

6.3.5

tathaivānyāśca dṛśyante striyaśca brahmavādinām |
vainateyānmayūrāṃśca janayantyaḥ pure tava || 5 ||

6.3.6

govatsaṃ vaḍavā sūte śvā sṛgālaṃ mahīpate |
krakarāñśārikāścaiva śukāṃścāśubhavādinaḥ || 6 ||

6.3.7

striyaḥ kāścitprajāyante catasraḥ pañca kanyakāḥ |
tā jātamātrā nṛtyanti gāyanti ca hasanti ca || 7 ||

6.3.8

pṛthagjanasya kuḍakāḥ stanapāḥ stenaveśmani |
nṛtyanti parigāyanti vedayanto mahadbhayam || 8 ||

6.3.9

pratimāścālikhantyanye saśastrāḥ kālacoditāḥ |
anyonyamabhidhāvanti śiśavo daṇḍapāṇayaḥ |
uparundhanti kṛtvā ca nagarāṇi yuyutsavaḥ || 9 ||

6.3.10

padmotpalāni vṛkṣeṣu jāyante kumudāni ca |
viṣvagvātāśca vāntyugrā rajo na vyupaśāmyati || 10 ||

Strong winds are blowing fiercely and the dust ceaseth not. The earth is frequently trembling, and Rahu approacheth towards the sun. The white planet (Ketu) stayeth, having passed beyond the constellation Chitra. All this particularly bodeth the destruction of the Kurus. A fierce comet riseth, afflicting the constellation Pusya. This great planet will cause frightful mischief to both the armies. Mars wheeleth towards Magha and Vrihaspati (Jupiter) towards Sravana. The Sun's offspring (Sani) approaching towards the constellation Bhaga, afflicteth it. The planet Sukra, ascending towards Purva Bhadra, shineth brilliantly, and wheeling towards the Uttara Bhadra, looketh towards it, having effected a junction (with a smaller planet). The white planet (Ketu), blazing up like fire mixed with smoke, stayeth, having attacked the bright constellation Jeshtha that is sacred to Indra. The constellation Dhruva, blazing fiercely, wheeleth towards the right. Both the Moon and the Sun are afflicting Rohini. The fierce planet (Rahu) hath taken up its position between the constellations Chitra and Swati. The red-bodied (Mars) possessed of the effulgence of fire, wheeling circuitously, stayeth in a line with the constellation Sravana over-ridden by Vrihaspati. The earth that produceth particular crops at particular seasons is now covered with the crops of every season. Every barley-stalk is graced with five ears, and every paddy-stalk with a hundred.

6.3.11

abhīkṣṇaṃ kampate bhūmirarkaṃ rāhustathāgrasat |
śveto grahastathā citrāṃ samatikramya tiṣṭhati || 11 ||

6.3.12

abhāvaṃ hi viśeṣeṇa kurūṇāṃ pratipaśyati |
dhūmaketurmahāghoraḥ puṣyamākramya tiṣṭhati || 12 ||

6.3.13

senayoraśivaṃ ghoraṃ kariṣyati mahāgrahaḥ |
maghāsvaṅgārako vakraḥ śravaṇe ca bṛhaspatiḥ || 13 ||

6.3.14

bhāgyaṃ nakṣatramākramya sūryaputreṇa pīḍyate |
śukraḥ proṣṭhapade pūrve samāruhya viśāṃ pate |
uttare tu parikramya sahitaḥ pratyudīkṣate || 14 ||

6.3.15

śyāmo grahaḥ prajvalitaḥ sadhūmaḥ sahapāvakaḥ |
aindraṃ tejasvi nakṣatraṃ jyeṣṭhāmākramya tiṣṭhati || 15 ||

6.3.16

dhruvaḥ prajvalito ghoramapasavyaṃ pravartate |
citrāsvātyantare caiva dhiṣṭhitaḥ paruṣo grahaḥ || 16 ||

6.3.17

vakrānuvakraṃ kṛtvā ca śravaṇe pāvakaprabhaḥ |
brahmarāśiṃ samāvṛtya lohitāṅgo vyavasthitaḥ || 17 ||

6.3.18

sarvasasyapraticchannā pṛthivī phalamālinī |
pañcaśīrṣā yavāścaiva śataśīrṣāśca śālayaḥ || 18 ||

6.3.19

pradhānāḥ sarvalokasya yāsvāyattamidaṃ jagat |
tā gāvaḥ prasnutā vatsaiḥ śoṇitaṃ prakṣarantyuta || 19 ||

They that are the best of creatures in the worlds and upon whom depends the universe, viz., kine, when milked after the calves have their suck, yield only blood. Radiant rays of light emanate from bows, and swords blaze forth brilliantly. It is evident that the weapons behold (before them) the battle, as if it were already arrived. The hue of weapons and the water, as also of coats of mail and standards, is like that of fire. A great slaughter will take place. In this battle, O Bharata, of the Kurus with the Pandavas, the earth, O monarch, will be a river of blood with the standards (of warriors) as its rafts. Animals and birds on all sides, with mouths blazing like fire, uttering fierce cries, and displaying these evil omens, are foreboding terrible consequences. A (fierce) bird with but one wing, one eye, and one leg, hovering over the sky in the night, screameth frightfully in wrath, as if for making the hearers vomit blood? It seemeth, O great king, that all weapons are now blazing with radiance. The effulgence of the constellation known by the name of the seven high-souled Rishis, hath been dimmed. Those two blazing planets, viz., Vrihaspati and Sani, having approached the constellation called Visakha, have become stationary there for a whole year. Three lunations twice meeting together in course of the same lunar fortnight, the duration of the latter is shortened by two days.

6.3.20

niścerurapidhānebhyaḥ khaḍgāḥ prajvalitā bhṛśam |
vyaktaṃ paśyanti śastrāṇi saṃgrāmaṃ samupasthitam || 20 ||

6.3.21

agnivarṇā yathā bhāsaḥ śastrāṇāmudakasya ca |
kavacānāṃ dhvajānāṃ ca bhaviṣyati mahānkṣayaḥ || 21 ||

6.3.22

dikṣu prajvalitāsyāśca vyāharanti mṛgadvijāḥ |
atyāhitaṃ darśayanto vedayanti mahadbhayam || 22 ||

6.3.23

ekapakṣākṣicaraṇaḥ śakuniḥ khacaro niśi |
raudraṃ vadati saṃrabdhaḥ śoṇitaṃ chardayanmuhuḥ || 23 ||

6.3.24

grahau tāmrāruṇaśikhau prajvalantāviva sthitau |
saptarṣīṇāmudārāṇāṃ samavacchādya vai prabhām || 24 ||

6.3.25

saṃvatsarasthāyinau ca grahau prajvalitāvubhau |
viśākhayoḥ samīpasthau bṛhaspatiśanaiścarau || 25 ||

6.3.26

kṛttikāsu grahastīvro nakṣatre prathame jvalan |
vapūṃṣyapaharanbhāsā dhūmaketuriva sthitaḥ || 26 ||

On the thirteenth day therefore, from the first lunation, according as it is the day of the full moon or the new moon, the moon and the sun are afflicted by Rahu. Such strange eclipses, both lunar and solar, forebode a great slaughter. All the quarters of the earth, being overwhelmed by showers of dust, look inauspicious. Fierce clouds, portentous of danger, drop bloody showers during the night. Rahu of fierce deeds is also, O monarch, afflicting the constellation Kirtika. Rough winds, portending fierce danger, are constantly blowing. All these beget a war characterised by many sad incidents. The constellations are divided into three classes. Upon one or another of each class, a planet of evil omen has shed its influence, foreboding terrible dangers. A lunar fortnight had hitherto consisted of fourteen days, or fifteen days (as usual), or sixteen days. This, however, I never knew that the day of new-moon would be on the thirteenth day from the first lunation, or the day of full-moon on the thirteenth day from the same. And yet in course of the same month both the Moon and the Sun have undergone eclipses on the thirteenth days from the day of the first lunation. The Sun and the Moon therefore, by undergoing eclipses on unusual days, will cause a great slaughter of the creatures of the earth. Indeed, Rakshasas, though drinking blood by mouthful, will yet not be satiated. The great rivers are flowing in opposite directions. The waters of rivers have become bloody.

6.3.27

triṣu pūrveṣu sarveṣu nakṣatreṣu viśāṃ pate |
budhaḥ saṃpatate'bhīkṣṇaṃ janayansumahadbhayam || 27 ||

6.3.28

caturdaśīṃ pañcadaśīṃ bhūtapūrvāṃ ca ṣoḍaśīm |
imāṃ tu nābhijānāmi amāvāsyāṃ trayodaśīm || 28 ||

6.3.29

candrasūryāvubhau grastāvekamāse trayodaśīm |
aparvaṇi grahāvetau prajāḥ saṃkṣapayiṣyataḥ || 29 ||

6.3.30

rajovṛtā diśaḥ sarvāḥ pāṃsuvarṣaiḥ samantataḥ |
utpātameghā raudrāśca rātrau varṣanti śoṇitam || 30 ||

6.3.31

māṃsavarṣaṃ punastīvramāsītkṛṣṇacaturdaśīm |
ardharātre mahāghoramatṛpyaṃstatra rākṣasāḥ || 31 ||

6.3.32

pratisroto'vahannadyaḥ saritaḥ śoṇitodakāḥ |
phenāyamānāḥ kūpāśca nardanti vṛṣabhā iva |
patantyulkāḥ sanirghātāḥ śuṣkāśanivimiśritāḥ || 32 ||

The wells, foaming up, are bellowing like bulls. Meteors, effulgent like Indra's thunder-bolt, fall with loud hisses. When this night passeth away, evil consequences will overtake you. People, for meeting together, coming out of their houses with lighted brands, have still to encounter a thick gloom all round. Great Rishis have said that in view of such circumstances the earth drinks the blood of thousands of kings. From the mountains of Kailasa and Mandara and Himavat thousands of explosions are heard and thousands of summits are tumbling down. In consequence of the Earth's trembling, each of the four oceans having swelled greatly, seems ready to transgress its continents for afflicting the Earth. Fierce winds charged with pointed pebbles are blowing, crushing mighty trees. In villages and towns trees, ordinary and sacred, are falling down, crushed by mighty winds and struck by lightning. The (sacrificial) fire, when Brahmanas pour libations on it, becomes blue, or red, or yellow. Its flames bend towards the left, yielding a bad scent, accompanied by loud reports. Touch, smell, and taste have, O monarch, become what they were not. The standards (of warriors), repeatedly trembling are emitting smoke. Drums and cymbals are throwing off showers of coal-dust. And from the tops of tall trees all around, crows, wheeling in circles from the left, are uttering fierce cries.

6.3.33

adya caiva niśāṃ vyuṣṭāmudaye bhānurāhataḥ |
jvalantībhirmaholkābhiścaturbhiḥ sarvatodiśam || 33 ||

6.3.34

ādityamupatiṣṭhadbhistatra coktaṃ maharṣibhiḥ |
bhūmipālasahasrāṇāṃ bhūmiḥ pāsyati śoṇitam || 34 ||

6.3.35

kailāsamandarābhyāṃ tu tathā himavato gireḥ |
sahasraśo mahāśabdaṃ śikharāṇi patanti ca || 35 ||

6.3.36

mahābhūtā bhūmikampe caturaḥ sāgarānpṛthak |
velāmudvartayanti sma kṣobhayantaḥ punaḥ punaḥ || 36 ||

6.3.37

vṛkṣānunmathya vāntyugrā vātāḥ śarkarakarṣiṇaḥ |
patanti caityavṛkṣāśca grāmeṣu nagareṣu ca || 37 ||

6.3.38

pītalohitanīlaśca jvalatyagnirhuto dvijaiḥ |
vāmārciḥ śāvagandhī ca dhūmaprāyaḥ kharasvanaḥ |
sparśā gandhā rasāścaiva viparītā mahīpate || 38 ||

6.3.39

dhūmāyante dhvajā rājñāṃ kampamānā muhurmuhuḥ |
muñcantyaṅgāravarṣāṇi bheryo'tha paṭahāstathā || 39 ||

6.3.40

prāsādaśikharāgreṣu puradvāreṣu caiva hi |
gṛdhrāḥ paripatantyugrā vāmaṃ maṇḍalamāśritāḥ || 40 ||

6.3.41

pakvāpakveti subhṛśaṃ vāvāśyante vayāṃsi ca |
nilīyante dhvajāgreṣu kṣayāya pṛthivīkṣitām || 41 ||

All of them again are uttering frightful cries of pakka, pakka and are perching upon the tops of standards for the destruction of the kings. Vicious elephants, trembling all over, are running hither and thither, urinating and ejecting excreta. The horses are all melancholy, while the elephants are resorting to the water. Hearing all this, let that be done which is suitable, so that, O Bharata, the world may not be depopulated.'"

6.3.42

dhyāyantaḥ prakirantaśca vālānvepathusaṃyutāḥ |
rudanti dīnāsturagā mātaṅgāśca sahasraśaḥ || 42 ||

6.3.43

etacchrutvā bhavānatra prāptakālaṃ vyavasyatām |
yathā lokaḥ samucchedaṃ nāyaṃ gaccheta bhārata || 43 ||

6.3.44

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
piturvaco niśamyaitaddhṛtarāṣṭro'bravīdidam |
diṣṭametatpurā manye bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ || 44 ||

Vaisampayana continued,--"Hearing these words of his father, Dhritarashtra said,--'I think all this hath been ordained of old. A great slaughter of human beings will take place. If the kings die in battle observing the duties of the Kshatriya order, they will then, attaining to the regions reserved for heroes, obtain only happiness. These tigers among men, casting away their lives in great battle, will win fame in this and great bliss for ever in the next world.'

6.3.45

kṣatriyāḥ kṣatradharmeṇa vadhyante yadi saṃyuge |
vīralokaṃ samāsādya sukhaṃ prāpsyanti kevalam || 45 ||

6.3.46

iha kīrtiṃ pare loke dīrghakālaṃ mahatsukham |
prāpsyanti puruṣavyāghrāḥ prāṇāṃstyaktvā mahāhave || 46 ||