Drona Reads the Omens

Verse 1 (4.46.1)

भारद्वाजस्ततो द्रोणः सर्वशस्त्रभृतांवरः । राजानं चाह संप्रेक्ष्य दुर्योधनमरिंदमः ॥

bhāradvājastato droṇaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃvaraḥ | rājānaṃ cāha saṃprekṣya duryodhanamariṃdamaḥ

Then Drona, son of Bharadvaja, foremost of all who bear weapons, the tamer of foes, looked at King Duryodhana and said:

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 4.41.18d*0793, lines 1–2 (reading ariṃdamam, of Duryodhana, where Wikisource has अरिंदमः, of Drona).

Verse 2 (4.46.2)

यथा रथस्य निर्घोषो यथा शङ्ख उदीर्यते । कम्पते च यथा भूमिर्नैषोऽन्यः सव्यसाचिनः ॥

yathā rathasya nirghoṣo yathā śaṅkha udīryate | kampate ca yathā bhūmirnaiṣo'nyaḥ savyasācinaḥ

From the way the chariot rumbles, the way the conch is blown and the way the earth trembles, this is none other than Savyasachin.

Note on the text: Corrected नैषोन्यः → नैषोऽन्यः (misprint in Wikisource; missing avagraha; the CE reads naiṣo 'nyaḥ). Wikisource prints no speaker heading for Drona; his speech (verses 2–18), announced in verse 1, is assigned to him (the CE heads it droṇa uvāca).

Verse 3 (4.46.3)

औत्पातिकमिदं राजन्निमित्तं भवतीह नः । न हि पश्यामि विजयं सैन्येऽस्माकं परन्तप ॥

autpātikamidaṃ rājannimittaṃ bhavatīha naḥ | na hi paśyāmi vijayaṃ sainye'smākaṃ parantapa

These are portents of calamity appearing here for us, O king. I see no victory for our army, scorcher of foes.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 4.41.19d*0797, lines 1–2.

Verse 4 (4.46.4)

शस्त्राणि न प्रकाशन्ते न प्रहृष्यन्ति वाहनाः । अग्नयश्च न भासन्ते सुसमिद्धा न शोभनाः ॥

śastrāṇi na prakāśante na prahṛṣyanti vāhanāḥ | agnayaśca na bhāsante susamiddhā na śobhanāḥ

The weapons do not gleam, the mounts are cheerless, and the fires, though well kindled, do not blaze; these are not good signs.

Note on the text: A variant of CE 4.41.20 (वाहनाः for vājinaḥ; the end of the second line differs).

Verse 5 (4.46.5)

प्रत्यादित्यं च नः सर्वे मृगा घोरा नदन्ति च । शकुनाश्चापसव्याश्च वेदयन्ति महाभयम् ॥

pratyādityaṃ ca naḥ sarve mṛgā ghorā nadanti ca | śakunāścāpasavyāśca vedayanti mahābhayam

All the beasts face the sun and cry out at us fearfully, and the birds pass on the ill-omened side, foretelling great danger.

Note on the text: The first line is a variant of CE 4.41.21ab; the second is a variant of CE 4.41.21ef. The CE's middle line (crows settling on the banners) stands in Wikisource as the third line of verse 12.

Verse 6 (4.46.6)

गोमायुरेष सैन्यानां रुदन्मध्येन धावति । चाषा नदन्ति चाकाशे वेदयन्तो महद्भयम् ॥

gomāyureṣa sainyānāṃ rudanmadhyena dhāvati | cāṣā nadanti cākāśe vedayanto mahadbhayam

This jackal runs howling through the middle of the troops, and blue jays cry in the sky, announcing great fear.

Note on the text: The first line is a variant of CE 4.41.22ab; the second appears nowhere in the critical edition (only its close, mahad vedayate bhayam, matches 4.41.22cd).

Verse 7 (4.46.7)

भवतां चैव रोमाणि प्रहृष्टानीव लक्षये ॥

bhavatāṃ caiva romāṇi prahṛṣṭānīva lakṣaye

And I see that the hair on your own bodies is standing on end.

Note on the text: A variant of CE 4.41.22ef (रोमाणि for romakūpāṇi). Wikisource prints this as a single line (4-46-7a); its sense is complete and no text appears lost.

Verse 8 (4.46.8)

अनुष्णाङ्गाश्च संस्विन्ना जृम्भन्ते चाप्यभीक्ष्णशः । विष्कम्भन्ति च मातङ्गा मुञ्चन्त्यश्रूणि वाजिनः । सदा मूत्रं पुरीषं च उत्सृजन्ति पुनः पुनः ॥

anuṣṇāṅgāśca saṃsvinnā jṛmbhante cāpyabhīkṣṇaśaḥ | viṣkambhanti ca mātaṅgā muñcantyaśrūṇi vājinaḥ | sadā mūtraṃ purīṣaṃ ca utsṛjanti punaḥ punaḥ

Their limbs have gone cold and they sweat and yawn again and again; the elephants stand rigid, the horses shed tears, and over and over they void urine and dung.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 4.41.22f*0799, lines 1–3 (viṣṭambhantīha where Wikisource has विष्कम्भन्ति च).

Verse 9 (4.46.9)

लोहितार्द्रा च पृथिवी दिशः सर्वाः प्रधूमिताः । न च सूर्यः प्रतपति महद्वेदयते भयम् ॥

lohitārdrā ca pṛthivī diśaḥ sarvāḥ pradhūmitāḥ | na ca sūryaḥ pratapati mahadvedayate bhayam

The earth is wet with blood, every quarter is wrapped in smoke, and the sun gives no heat: this foretells great danger.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 4.41.22f*0799, lines 4–5 (pradhūpitāḥ where Wikisource has प्रधूमिताः).

Verse 10 (4.46.10)

हस्तिनश्चापि वित्रस्ता योधाश्चापि वितत्रसुः । पराभूता च वः सेना न कश्चिद्योद्धुमिच्छति ॥

hastinaścāpi vitrastā yodhāścāpi vitatrasuḥ | parābhūtā ca vaḥ senā na kaścidyoddhumicchati

The elephants are terrified and the warriors tremble too; your army is beaten already, and no one wishes to fight.

Note on the text: Corrected योद्भुमिच्छति → योद्धुमिच्छति (misprint in Wikisource; भ for ध; the CE reads yoddhum icchati). The first line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 4.41.22f*0799, line 6); the second is CE 4.41.23ab.

Verse 11 (4.46.11)

विषण्णमुखभूयिष्ठाः सर्वे योधा विचेतसः । दिशं ते दक्षिणां सर्वे विप्रेक्षन्ते पुनः पुनः ॥

viṣaṇṇamukhabhūyiṣṭhāḥ sarve yodhā vicetasaḥ | diśaṃ te dakṣiṇāṃ sarve viprekṣante punaḥ punaḥ

Most of the warriors have downcast faces; all of them are dazed, and all keep looking back toward the south.

Note on the text: The first line is a variant of CE 4.41.23cd (विषण्ण for vivarṇa); the second is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 4.41.23d*0800, line 1).

Verse 12 (4.46.12)

मृगाश्च पक्षिणश्चैव सव्यमेव पतन्ति नः । वादित्रोद्धृष्टघोषाश्च न च गाढं स्वनन्ति च । ध्वजाग्रेषु निलीयन्ते वायसास्तन्न शोभनम् ॥

mṛgāśca pakṣiṇaścaiva savyameva patanti naḥ | vāditroddhṛṣṭaghoṣāśca na ca gāḍhaṃ svananti ca | dhvajāgreṣu nilīyante vāyasāstanna śobhanam

Beasts and birds alike pass on our left; the instruments, though loudly sounded, give out no full note; and crows settle on the tips of the banners. That is not auspicious.

Note on the text: The first two lines are not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has them as 4.41.23d*0800, lines 2–3); the third is a variant of CE 4.41.21cd (ध्वजाग्रेषु for dhvajeṣu ca).

Verse 13 (4.46.13)

यथा मेघस्य निनदो गम्भीरस्तूर्णमायतः । श्रूयते रथनिर्घोषो नायमन्यो धनञ्जयात् ॥

yathā meghasya ninado gambhīrastūrṇamāyataḥ | śrūyate rathanirghoṣo nāyamanyo dhanañjayāt

Like the deep, swelling roll of a thundercloud, the rumble of a chariot is heard: it is none other than Dhananjaya.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 4.41.23d*0800, lines 4–5.

Verse 14 (4.46.14)

अश्वानां स्वनतां शब्दो वहतां पाकशासनिम् । वानरस्य रथे दिव्यो निस्वनः श्रूयते महान् ॥

aśvānāṃ svanatāṃ śabdo vahatāṃ pākaśāsanim | vānarasya rathe divyo nisvanaḥ śrūyate mahān

The sound is heard of the neighing horses that draw Indra's son, and a great unearthly cry from the monkey on his chariot.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). The first line is in its apparatus as 4.41.23d*0800, line 6; the second differs from that passage's next line (vānaraś ca dhvajo nityo niḥsaṅgaṃ dhūyate mahān) and appears nowhere else in the CE.

Verse 15 (4.46.15)

शङ्खशब्देन पार्थस्य कर्णौ मे बधिरीकृतौ । सर्वसैन्यं च वित्रस्तं नायमन्यो धनञ्जयात् ॥

śaṅkhaśabdena pārthasya karṇau me badhirīkṛtau | sarvasainyaṃ ca vitrastaṃ nāyamanyo dhanañjayāt

The blast of Partha's conch has deafened my ears, and the whole army is terrified: it is none other than Dhananjaya.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 4.41.23d*0800, lines 8–9.

Verse 16 (4.46.16)

राजानमग्रतः कृत्वा दुर्योधनमरिन्दमम् । गाः प्रस्थाप्य च तिष्ठामो व्यूढानीकाः प्रहारिणः । प्रविभज्य त्रिधा सेनां समुच्छ्रित्य ध्वजानपि ॥

rājānamagrataḥ kṛtvā duryodhanamarindamam | gāḥ prasthāpya ca tiṣṭhāmo vyūḍhānīkāḥ prahāriṇaḥ | pravibhajya tridhā senāṃ samucchritya dhvajānapi

Let us put King Duryodhana, tamer of foes, in front, send the cows on ahead, divide the army into three, raise our banners, and take our stand in array, ready to strike.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 4.41.23d*0800, line 10); the second is a variant of CE 4.41.23ef (गाः प्रस्थाप्य च for gāḥ saṃprasthāpya); the third is not in its text (apparatus 4.41.23f*0801, line 1).

Verse 17 (4.46.17)

शितैर्बाणैः प्रताप्येमां चमूमेष धनञ्जयः । मूर्ध्नि सर्वनरेन्द्राणां वामपादं करिष्यति ॥

śitairbāṇaiḥ pratāpyemāṃ camūmeṣa dhanañjayaḥ | mūrdhni sarvanarendrāṇāṃ vāmapādaṃ kariṣyati

With his sharp arrows Dhananjaya will scorch this host and set his left foot on the heads of all the kings.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has it as 4.41.23f*0802, lines 1–2.

Verse 18 (4.46.18)

न ह्येष शक्यो बीभत्सुर्जेतुं देवासुरैरपि । दिक्षु गुल्मा निवेश्यन्तां यत्ता योत्स्यामहेऽर्जुनम् ॥

na hyeṣa śakyo bībhatsurjetuṃ devāsurairapi | dikṣu gulmā niveśyantāṃ yattā yotsyāmahe'rjunam

This Bibhatsu cannot be conquered even by gods and demons. Let detachments be posted on every side; we shall fight Arjuna on our guard.

Note on the text: Corrected योत्स्यामहेऽर्जुन → योत्स्यामहेऽर्जुनम् (misprint in Wikisource; the dropped anusvara turns the object into a vocative, "O Arjuna", though Drona is speaking to Duryodhana; the apparatus reads yotsyāmahe 'rjunam). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); its apparatus has the first line as 4.41.23f*0802, line 3, and the second as 4.41.23f*0801, line 2.