वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः पूर्वापरे सैन्ये समीक्ष्य भगवानृषिः। सर्ववेदविदां श्रेष्ठो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः॥ भविष्यति रणे घोर भरतानां पितामहः। प्रत्यक्षदर्शी भगवान् भूतभव्यभविष्यवित्॥ वैचित्रवीर्यं राजानं स रहस्यं ब्रवीदिदम्। शोचन्तमार्तं ध्यायन्तं पुत्राणामनयं तदा॥
Vaishampayana said Having seen the two armies placed on the east and the west ready for the fearful fight, the holy Rishi Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, that foremost of all men learned in the Vedas, that grandfather of the Pandavas and the Kurus who knew the Past and the Present and the Future thus spoke in private to the king (Dhritarashtra) the son of Vichitravirya who was then distressed and afflicted with sorrow thinking of the evil propensities of his sons.
व्यास उवाच राजन् परीतकालास्ते पुत्राश्चान्ये च पार्थिवाः। ते हिंसन्तीव संग्रामे समासाद्येतरेतरम्॥
Vyasa said O king, the (last) moment of your sons and of other kings has arrived. They have assembled to fight and they will kill one another.
तेषु कालपरीतेषु विनश्यत्स्वेव भारत। कालपर्यायमाज्ञाय मा स्म शोके मनः कृथाः॥
O descendant of Bharata, their (last) moment having arrived, they would now all perish. Reinembering the changes that are brought by Time, do not grieve.
यदि चेच्छसि संग्रामे द्रष्टुमेतान् विशाम्पते। चक्षुर्ददानि ते पुत्र युद्धं तत्र निशामय॥
O king, O child, if you wish to see them in battle, I shall bestow on you sight. Behold the battle.
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच न रोचये ज्ञातिवधं द्रष्टुं ब्रह्मर्षिसत्तम। युद्धमेतत् त्वशेषेण शृणुयां तव तेजसा॥
Dhritarashtra said O foremost of Brahmarshis, I do not desire to see the slaughter of my friends and relatives. I shall, however, through your grace, hear the account of this battle, minutely described to me.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एतस्मिन् नेच्छति द्रष्टुं संग्रामं श्रोतुमिच्छति। वराणामीश्वरो व्यासः संजयाय वरं ददौ॥
Vaishampayana said On his not wishing to see the battle but to hear of it, that giver of boons Vyasa bestowed a boon on Sanjaya.
एष ते संजयो राजन् युद्धमेतद् वदिष्यति। एतस्य सर्वसंग्रामे न परोक्षं भविष्यति॥
Vyasa said ( king, this Sanjaya will describe to you this great battle. Nothing of the whole battle will remain unseen by him.
चक्षुषा संजयो राजन् दिव्येनैव समन्वितः। कथयिष्यति ते युद्धं सर्वज्ञश्च भविष्यति॥
O king, possessing a possessing a celestial vision Sanjaya will narrate the battle to you. He will possess the knowledge of every thing regarding this battle.
प्रकाशं वाप्रकाशं वा दिवा वा यदि वा निशि। मनसा चिन्तितमपि सर्वं वेत्स्यति संजयः॥
Whether manifest or concealed whether occurring by day or by night, even what will be thought in the mind, will be known to Sanjaya.
नैनं शस्त्राणि छेत्स्यन्ति नैनं बाधिष्यते श्रमः। गावल्गणिरयं जीवन् युद्धादस्माद् विमोक्ष्यते॥
Wcapons will not cut him, exertion will not cxhaust him, this son of Gavalgani will return from battle alive.
अहं तु कीर्तिपेतेषां कुरूणां भरतर्षभ। पाण्डवानां च सर्वेषां प्रथयिष्यामि मा शुचः॥
O foremost of the Bharata race, as for myself, I shall vad the fame of the Kurus and the Pandavas. Do not therefore grieve.
दिष्टमेतन्नरव्याघ्र नाभिशोचितुमर्हसि। न चैव शक्यं संयन्तुं यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः॥
O foremost of men, this is destiny. You should not grieve. It is not to be prevented. As for victory, it would be there where righteousness would be.
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा स भगवान् कुरूणां प्रपितामहः। पुनरेव महाभागो धृतराष्ट्रमुवाच ह॥
Vaishampayana said That highly exalted and holy grand father of the Kurus, having said thus, again thus spoke to Dhritarashtra.
इह युद्धे महाराज भविष्यति महान् क्षयः। तथेह च निमित्तानि भयदान्युपलक्षये॥
Vyasa said O king, there will be a great slaughter in this battle. I also see many omens that forebode evil.
श्येनागृध्राश्च काकाश्च कङ्काश्च सहिता बकैः। सम्पतन्ति नगाग्रेषु समवायांश्च कुर्वते॥
Hawks and vultures and crows and herons and cranes are coming down on the top of trees and are assembling in great numbers.
अभ्यग्रं च प्रपश्यन्ति युद्धमानन्दिनो द्विजाः। क्रव्यादा भक्षयिष्यन्ति मांसानि गजवाजिनाम्॥
These birds, becoming exceedingly glad at the prospect of the battle, are loO king down on the field of battle. Carnivorous beasts will feast on the flesh of elephants and horses.
निर्दयं चाभिवाशन्तो भैरवा भयवेदिनः। कङ्काः प्रयान्ति मध्येन दक्षिणामभितो दिशम्॥
Fearful herons, foreboding evil and uttering harsh cries, are going across the centre and are flying towards the south.
उभे पूर्वापरे संध्ये नित्यं पश्यामि भारत। उदयास्तमने सूर्य कबन्धैः परिवारितम्॥
O descendant of Bharata, in both the twilights, morning and evening, I daily see the sun covered by headless trunks when rising or setting.
श्वेतलोहितपर्यन्ताः कृष्णग्रीवा: सविद्युतः। विवर्णाः परिघाः संधौ भानुमन्तमवारयन्।॥
Three coloured clouds with their edges white and red and their middle black, charged with lightning and loO king like bludgeons, cover the sun in both the twilights.
ज्वलितार्केन्दुनक्षत्रं निर्विशेषदिनक्षयम्। अहोरात्रं मया दृष्टं तद् भयाय भविष्यति॥
I have seen the sun, the moon and the stars ablaze. No difference can be found in them in the evening, I have seen this all day and all night. All this forebodes evil.
अलक्ष्यः प्रभयाहीनः पौर्णमासी च कार्तिकीम्। चन्द्रोऽभूदग्निवर्णश्च पद्मवर्णनभस्तले॥
Even in the night of the full moon in the month of Kartikeya the moon, having lost all its splendour, became invisible or looked like fire, the sky loO king like lotus.
स्वप्स्यन्ति निहता वीरा भूमिमावृत्य पार्थिवाः। राजानो राजपुत्राश्च शूराः परिघबाहवः॥
many heroic rulers of earth, many kings and princes, possessing great bravery and weapons loO king like maces will all be killed. They will sleep covering the earth.
अन्तरिक्षे वराहस्य वृषदंशस्य चोभयोः। प्रणादं युद्ध्यतो रात्रो रौद्रं नित्यं प्रलक्षये॥
I during the night daily see in the sky the fearful cries of fighting boars and cats.
देवताप्रतिमाश्चैव कम्पन्ति च हसन्ति च। वमन्ति रुधिरं चास्यैः खिद्यन्ति प्रपतन्ति च॥
The images of gods and goddesses sometime smile, sometime tremble, and again vomit blood, perspire and drop down.
अनाहता दुन्दुभयः प्रणदन्ति विशाम्पते। अयुक्ताश्च प्रवर्तन्ते क्षत्रियाणां महारथाः॥
O king, drums without being beaten give out sounds. The great cars of the Kshatriyas move, though no animals are yoked to them.
कोकिलाः शतपत्राश्च चाषा भासाः शुकास्तथा। सारसाश्च मयूराश्च वाचो मुञ्चन्ति दारुणाः॥
Kokilas, wood packers, jaws, water cocks, parrots, crows, peacocks, all emit fearful cries,
गृहीतशस्त्राः क्रोशन्ति चर्मिणो वाजिपृष्ठगाः। अरुणोदये प्रदृश्यन्ते शतशः शलभव्रजाः॥
Here and there everywhere horse men clad in armours and armed with weapons give out war cries. In the morning when the sun rises, hundreds of fights of insects are seen
उभे संध्ये प्रकाशन्ते दिशां दाहसमन्विते। पर्जन्यः पांसुवर्षी च मांसवर्षी च भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, in both the twilights, the four quarters appear to be ablaze. The clouds pour down dust and flesh.
या चैषा विश्रुता राजंस्त्रैलोक्ये साधुसम्मता। अरुन्धती तयाप्येष वसिष्ठः पृष्ठतः कृतः॥
O king, she who is celebrated over the three worlds and who is praised by the pious men, en that Arundhati (constellation) keeps Vasishtha on her back.
रोहिणी पीडयन्नेष स्थितो राजशनैश्चरः। व्यावृत्तं लक्ष्म सोमस्य भविष्यति महद् भयम्॥
O king, the planet Shani appears with (the constellation) Rohini. The sign of the dear in the moon has deviated from its original position, a great evil is foreboded by all this.
अनभ्रे महाघोरः स्तनितः श्रूयते स्वनः। वाहनानां च रुदतां निपतन्त्यश्रुबिन्दवः॥
Even when the sky is cloudless, even then fearful roars are heard there. The animals are all weeping and tears are falling fast from their eyes.