Vyasa Grants Sanjaya Divine Sight and Tells of Omens

Verse 1 (6.2.1)

ततः पूर्वापरे सैन्ये समीक्ष्य भगवानृषिः । सर्ववेदविदां श्रेष्ठो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः ॥

tataḥ pūrvāpare sainye samīkṣya bhagavānṛṣiḥ | sarvavedavidāṃ śreṣṭho vyāsaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ

Then the blessed seer Vyasa, son of Satyavati and foremost of all who know the Vedas, looked over the two armies, the eastern and the western;

Verse 2 (6.2.2)

भविष्यति रणे घोरे भरतानां पितामहः । प्रत्यक्षदर्शी भगवान्भूतभव्यभविष्यवित् ॥

bhaviṣyati raṇe ghore bharatānāṃ pitāmahaḥ | pratyakṣadarśī bhagavānbhūtabhavyabhaviṣyavit

and with the terrible battle about to begin, the blessed grandsire of the Bharatas, who sees all things directly and knows the past, the present and the future,

Verse 3 (6.2.3)

वैचित्रवीर्यं राजानं रहस्स्थमिदमब्रवीत् । शोचन्तमार्तं ध्यायन्तं पुत्राणामनयं तदा ॥

vaicitravīryaṃ rājānaṃ rahassthamidamabravīt | śocantamārtaṃ dhyāyantaṃ putrāṇāmanayaṃ tadā

spoke these words in private to King Dhritarashtra, son of Vichitravirya, who sat grieving and distressed, brooding over the misconduct of his sons.

Verse 4 (6.2.4)

राजन्परीतकालास्ते पुत्राश्चान्ये च पार्थिवाः । ते हिंसन्तीव सङ्ग्रामे समासाद्येतरेतरम् ॥

rājanparītakālāste putrāścānye ca pārthivāḥ | te hiṃsantīva saṅgrāme samāsādyetaretaram

King, the time of your sons and of the other kings has run out. Meeting one another in battle, they will destroy one another.

Note on the text: Corrected परिकालास्ते → परीतकालास्ते (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara leaves the line a syllable short; the critical edition reads parītakālās te, "whose time has come").

Verse 5 (6.2.5)

तेषु कालपरीतेषु विनश्यत्स्वेव भारत । कालपर्यायमाज्ञाय मा स्म शोके मनः कृथाः ॥

teṣu kālaparīteṣu vinaśyatsveva bhārata | kālaparyāyamājñāya mā sma śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ

Since they are in the grip of Time and are as good as perished, Bharata, understand this turn of Time and do not give your mind over to grief.

Note on the text: Corrected कालपर्यायमाहाय → कालपर्यायमाज्ञाय (ह for ज्ञ; "having understood") and कृथा → कृथाः (dropped visarga) (misprints in Wikisource; the critical edition reads kālaparyāyam ājñāya … kṛthāḥ).

Verse 6 (6.2.6)

यदि चेच्छसि संग्रामं द्रष्टुमेनं विशांपते । चक्षुर्ददानि ते पुत्र युद्धमेतन्निशामय ॥

yadi cecchasi saṃgrāmaṃ draṣṭumenaṃ viśāṃpate | cakṣurdadāni te putra yuddhametanniśāmaya

If you wish to see this battle, lord of the people, I will give you sight, my son: watch this war.

Note on the text: Corrected द्रुष्टुमेनं → द्रष्टुमेनं (द्रु for द्र) and निशामया → निशामय (stray ā; the page's own commentary glosses निशामय पश्य) (misprints in Wikisource; the critical edition reads draṣṭum, niśāmaya).

Verse 7 (6.2.7)

न रोचये ज्ञातिवधं द्रष्टुं ब्रह्मर्षिसत्तम । युद्धमेतत्त्वशेषेण शृणुयां तव तेजसा ॥

na rocaye jñātivadhaṃ draṣṭuṃ brahmarṣisattama | yuddhametattvaśeṣeṇa śṛṇuyāṃ tava tejasā

Best of brahmin seers, I have no wish to see the slaughter of my kin; but through your power let me hear of this battle in full.

Note on the text: Rebuilt from the raw page: the input split this verse into two rows (the page prints each half-line on its own row, both labelled 6-2-7a); they are joined here as verse 7 (critical edition 6.2.7). Corrected श्रृणुयां → शृणुयां (misprint in Wikisource; श्रृ for शृ; the critical edition reads śṛṇuyāṃ).

Verse 8 (6.2.8)

तस्मिन्ननिच्छति द्रष्टुं संग्रामं श्रोतुमिच्छति । वराणामीश्वरो व्यासः संजयाय वरं ददौ ॥

tasminnanicchati draṣṭuṃ saṃgrāmaṃ śrotumicchati | varāṇāmīśvaro vyāsaḥ saṃjayāya varaṃ dadau

Since the king did not wish to see the battle but wished to hear of it, Vyasa, the master of boons, granted a boon to Sanjaya.

Verse 9 (6.2.9)

एष ते संजयो राजन्युद्धमेतद्वदिष्यति । एतस्य सर्वं संग्रामे न परोक्षं भविष्यति ॥

eṣa te saṃjayo rājanyuddhametadvadiṣyati | etasya sarvaṃ saṃgrāme na parokṣaṃ bhaviṣyati

King, this Sanjaya will tell you of this battle. Nothing in the war will be hidden from his eyes.

Verse 10 (6.2.10)

चक्षुषा संजयो राजन्दिव्येनैव समन्वितः । कथयिष्यति ते युद्धं सर्वज्ञश्च भविष्यति ॥

cakṣuṣā saṃjayo rājandivyenaiva samanvitaḥ | kathayiṣyati te yuddhaṃ sarvajñaśca bhaviṣyati

Endowed with divine sight, King, Sanjaya will relate the battle to you, and he will know everything.

Verse 11 (6.2.11)

प्रकाशं वाऽप्रकाशं वा दिवा वा यदि वा निशि । मनसा चिन्तितमपि सर्वं वेत्स्यति संजयः ॥

prakāśaṃ vā'prakāśaṃ vā divā vā yadi vā niśi | manasā cintitamapi sarvaṃ vetsyati saṃjayaḥ

Whatever is done openly or in secret, by day or by night, even what is only thought in the mind, Sanjaya will know it all.

Verse 12 (6.2.12)

नैनं शस्त्राणि भेत्स्यन्ति नैनं बाधिष्यते श्रमः । गावल्गणिरयं जीवन्युद्धादस्माद्विमोक्ष्यते ॥

nainaṃ śastrāṇi bhetsyanti nainaṃ bādhiṣyate śramaḥ | gāvalgaṇirayaṃ jīvanyuddhādasmādvimokṣyate

Weapons will not pierce him, and weariness will not trouble him. This son of Gavalgana will come out of this battle alive.

Verse 13 (6.2.13)

अहं तु कीर्तिमेतेषां कुरूणां भरतर्षभ । पाण्डवानां च सर्वेषां प्रथयिष्यामि मा शुचः ॥

ahaṃ tu kīrtimeteṣāṃ kurūṇāṃ bharatarṣabha | pāṇḍavānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ prathayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

And I, bull of the Bharatas, shall spread the fame of these Kurus and of all the Pandavas. Do not grieve.

Note on the text: Corrected करूणां → कुरूणां (misprint in Wikisource; dropped u-sign; the critical edition reads kurūṇāṃ).

Verse 14 (6.2.14)

दिष्टमेतन्नरव्याघ्र नाभिशोचितुमर्हसि । न चैव शक्यं संयन्तुं यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः ॥

diṣṭametannaravyāghra nābhiśocitumarhasi | na caiva śakyaṃ saṃyantuṃ yato dharmastato jayaḥ

This is ordained, tiger among men, and you should not lament it; nor can it be held back. Where dharma is, there is victory.

Verse 15 (6.2.15)

एवमुक्त्वा स भगवान्कुरूणां प्रपितामहः । पुनरेव महाभागो धृतराष्ट्रमुवाच ह ॥

evamuktvā sa bhagavānkurūṇāṃ prapitāmahaḥ | punareva mahābhāgo dhṛtarāṣṭramuvāca ha

Having said this, the blessed and illustrious great-grandsire of the Kurus spoke again to Dhritarashtra.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रतितामहः → प्रपितामहः (misprint in Wikisource; त for पि; the critical edition reads prapitāmahaḥ).

Verse 16 (6.2.16)

इह युद्धे महाराज भविष्यति महान्क्षयः । तथेह च निमित्तानि भयदान्युपलक्षये ॥

iha yuddhe mahārāja bhaviṣyati mahānkṣayaḥ | tatheha ca nimittāni bhayadānyupalakṣaye

Great king, in this war there will be a vast destruction, and here too I see omens that bring fear.

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints no heading here, and the input carried वैशंपायन over from verse 15; verses 16–33 are Vyasa's own speech to Dhritarashtra ("I see", "I have seen"), announced by 15 (धृतराष्ट्रमुवाच ह), so they are given to Vyasa. The critical edition likewise has no heading before 6.2.16 and resumes with "vyāsa uvāca" at 6.3.1.

Verse 17 (6.2.17)

श्येना गृध्राश्च काकाश्च कङ्काश्च सहिता बकैः । संपतन्ति ध्वजाग्रेषु समवायांश्च कुर्वते ॥

śyenā gṛdhrāśca kākāśca kaṅkāśca sahitā bakaiḥ | saṃpatanti dhvajāgreṣu samavāyāṃśca kurvate

Hawks, vultures, crows and kankas, together with cranes, swoop down on the tops of the banners and gather in flocks.

Note on the text: Corrected काङ्काश्च → कङ्काश्च (misprint in Wikisource; stray ā; the bird is the kaṅka, as in the critical edition and verse 19).

Verse 18 (6.2.18)

अभ्यग्रं च प्रपश्यन्ति युद्धमानन्दिनो द्विजाः । क्रव्यादा भक्षयिष्यन्ति मांसानि गजवाजिनां ॥

abhyagraṃ ca prapaśyanti yuddhamānandino dvijāḥ | kravyādā bhakṣayiṣyanti māṃsāni gajavājināṃ

The birds rejoice to see the battle close at hand; the eaters of flesh will feast on the flesh of elephants and horses.

Verse 19 (6.2.19)

कटाकटेति वाशन्तो भैरवा भयवेदिनः । कङ्काः क्रोशन्ति मध्याह्ने दक्षिणामभितो दिशं ॥

kaṭākaṭeti vāśanto bhairavā bhayavedinaḥ | kaṅkāḥ krośanti madhyāhne dakṣiṇāmabhito diśaṃ

Screeching "kata, kata", dreadful and foretelling fear, the kankas cry out at midday toward the southern quarter.

Verse 20 (6.2.20)

उभे पूर्वापरे सन्ध्ये नित्यं पश्यामि भारत । उदयास्तमने सूर्यं कबन्धैः परिवारितम् ॥

ubhe pūrvāpare sandhye nityaṃ paśyāmi bhārata | udayāstamane sūryaṃ kabandhaiḥ parivāritam

At both twilights, morning and evening, Bharata, I see the sun, rising and setting, constantly ringed by headless trunks.

Verse 21 (6.2.21)

श्वेतलोहितपर्यन्ताः कृष्णग्रीवाः सविद्युतः । त्रिवर्णाः परिघाः सन्धौ भानुमावारयन्त्युत ॥

śvetalohitaparyantāḥ kṛṣṇagrīvāḥ savidyutaḥ | trivarṇāḥ parighāḥ sandhau bhānumāvārayantyuta

Three-coloured halos, white and red at the rim and black in the middle, flashing with lightning, encircle the sun at twilight.

Note on the text: Corrected कृष्णाग्रीवाः → कृष्णग्रीवाः (misprint in Wikisource; stray ā; the page's own commentary and the critical edition read kṛṣṇagrīvāḥ).

Verse 22 (6.2.22)

ज्वलितार्केन्दुनक्षत्रं निर्विशेषदिनक्षपम् । अहोरात्रं मया दृष्टं तत्क्षयाय भविष्यति ॥

jvalitārkendunakṣatraṃ nirviśeṣadinakṣapam | ahorātraṃ mayā dṛṣṭaṃ tatkṣayāya bhaviṣyati

I have seen a day and night in which the sun, the moon and the stars blazed and day could not be told from night; it will bring destruction.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (6.2.22): Wikisource prints line 1 with a gap (ज्वलितार्के .......त्रं) and line 2 replaced by a repeat of the next verse's second line (चन्द्रोऽभूतग्निवर्णश्च पद्मवर्णे नभस्तले). The missing letters न्दुनक्ष and line 2 (ahorātraṃ mayā dṛṣṭaṃ tatkṣayāya bhaviṣyati) are restored from the critical edition; the page's own commentary on this verse confirms both readings (it explains अर्केन्द्वोर्नक्षत्रम् and अहोरात्रम् … तन्मया दृष्टम्). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 23 (6.2.23)

आलक्षे प्रभया हीनां पौर्णमासीं च कार्त्तिकीम् । चन्द्रोऽभूदग्निवर्णश्च पद्मवर्णे नभस्तले ॥

ālakṣe prabhayā hīnāṃ paurṇamāsīṃ ca kārttikīm | candro'bhūdagnivarṇaśca padmavarṇe nabhastale

I saw the full-moon night of Karttika bereft of its light; the moon turned the colour of fire in a sky the colour of red lotuses.

Note on the text: Corrected कीर्तिकीम् → कार्त्तिकीम् (misprint in Wikisource; the Karttika full moon, as in the critical edition's kārttikīm).

Verse 24 (6.2.24)

स्वप्स्यन्ति निहता वीरा भूमिमावृत्य पार्थिवाः । राजानो राजपुत्राश्च शूराः परिघबाहवः ॥

svapsyanti nihatā vīrā bhūmimāvṛtya pārthivāḥ | rājāno rājaputrāśca śūrāḥ parighabāhavaḥ

Slain heroes, lords of the earth, will lie asleep covering the ground: kings and princes, brave men with arms like iron bars.

Verse 25 (6.2.25)

अन्तरिक्षे वराहस्य वृषदंशस्य चोभयोः । प्रणादं युध्यतो रात्रौ रौद्रं नित्यं प्रलक्षये ॥

antarikṣe varāhasya vṛṣadaṃśasya cobhayoḥ | praṇādaṃ yudhyato rātrau raudraṃ nityaṃ pralakṣaye

Night after night I hear in the sky the fearful roar of a boar and a cat, the two of them fighting.

Note on the text: Corrected पृषदंशकस्य → वृषदंशस्य (misprint in Wikisource; प for व and an extra क that makes the line a syllable too long; vṛṣadaṃśa is the cat, as in the critical edition's vṛṣadaṃśasya).

Verse 26 (6.2.26)

देवताप्रतिमाश्चैव कम्पन्ति च हसन्ति च । वमन्ति रुधिरं चास्यैः स्विद्यन्ति प्रपतन्ति च ॥

devatāpratimāścaiva kampanti ca hasanti ca | vamanti rudhiraṃ cāsyaiḥ svidyanti prapatanti ca

The images of the gods tremble and laugh; they vomit blood from their mouths, they sweat, and they topple down.

Verse 27 (6.2.27)

अनाहता दुन्दुभयः प्रणदन्ति विशांपते । अयुक्ताश्च प्रवर्तन्ते क्षत्रियाणां महारथाः ॥

anāhatā dundubhayaḥ praṇadanti viśāṃpate | ayuktāśca pravartante kṣatriyāṇāṃ mahārathāḥ

Drums resound though no one beats them, lord of the people, and the great chariots of the kshatriyas roll on though no horses are yoked to them.

Verse 28 (6.2.28)

कोकिलाः शतपत्राश्च चाषा भासाः शुकास्तथा । सारसाश्च मयूराश्च वाचो मुञ्चन्ति दारुणाः ॥

kokilāḥ śatapatrāśca cāṣā bhāsāḥ śukāstathā | sārasāśca mayūrāśca vāco muñcanti dāruṇāḥ

Cuckoos, woodpeckers, blue jays, bhasa birds and parrots, sarasa cranes and peacocks give out dreadful cries.

Verse 29 (6.2.29)

गृहीतशस्त्राः क्रोशन्ति चर्मिणो वाजिपृष्ठगाः । अरुणोदये प्रदृश्यन्ते शतशः शलभव्रजाः ॥

gṛhītaśastrāḥ krośanti carmiṇo vājipṛṣṭhagāḥ | aruṇodaye pradṛśyante śataśaḥ śalabhavrajāḥ

Iron-beaked birds and dark charmin insects shriek from the backs of horses, and at daybreak swarms of locusts are seen by the hundred.

Note on the text: Line 1 differs from the critical edition (6.2.29ab gṛhītaśastrābharaṇā varmiṇo vājipṛṣṭhagāḥ); the translation follows the page's own commentary, which takes गृहीतशस्त्राः as iron-beaked birds and चर्मिणः as a kind of black locust.

Verse 30 (6.2.30)

उभे सन्ध्ये प्रकाशन्ते दिशो दाहसमन्विते । पर्जन्यः पांसुवर्षी च मांसवर्षी च भारत ॥

ubhe sandhye prakāśante diśo dāhasamanvite | parjanyaḥ pāṃsuvarṣī ca māṃsavarṣī ca bhārata

At both twilights the quarters glow as though on fire, and the rain-cloud rains dust and rains flesh, Bharata.

Note on the text: The automatic alignment found no match; this is the critical edition's 6.2.30, whose line 1 is a variant (ubhe saṃdhye prakāśete diśāṃ dāhasamanvite) and whose line 2 differs (āsīd rudhiravarṣaṃ ca asthivarṣaṃ ca bhārata, "there was a rain of blood and a rain of bones").

Verse 31 (6.2.31)

या चैषा विश्रुता राजंस्त्रैलोक्ये साधुसंमता । अरुन्धती तयाप्येष वसिष्ठः पृष्ठतः कृतः ॥

yā caiṣā viśrutā rājaṃstrailokye sādhusaṃmatā | arundhatī tayāpyeṣa vasiṣṭhaḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtaḥ

And Arundhati, King, renowned in the three worlds and honoured by the good, even she has put Vasishtha behind her.

Verse 32 (6.2.32)

रोहिणीं पीडयन्नेष स्थितो राजञ्शनैश्चरः । व्यावृत्तं लक्ष्म सोमस्य भविष्यति महद्भयम् ॥

rohiṇīṃ pīḍayanneṣa sthito rājañśanaiścaraḥ | vyāvṛttaṃ lakṣma somasya bhaviṣyati mahadbhayam

Saturn, King, stands oppressing Rohini; the mark on the moon has turned aside. A great terror is coming.

Verse 33 (6.2.33)

अनभ्रे च महाघोरस्तनितं श्रूयते भृशम् । वाहनानां च रुदतां निपतन्त्यश्रुबिन्दवः ॥

anabhre ca mahāghorastanitaṃ śrūyate bhṛśam | vāhanānāṃ ca rudatāṃ nipatantyaśrubindavaḥ

Though the sky is cloudless, a most dreadful thunder is heard, loud and long, and tears fall from the eyes of the weeping horses and beasts of burden.

Note on the text: Corrected निपतन्त्युश्रुबिन्दवः → निपतन्त्यश्रुबिन्दवः (misprint in Wikisource; उ for अ in अश्रु, "tears").