Jambukhanda Vinirmana Parva — Various indications of the Jambukhanda

Vyasa said Asses are being born of cows. Sons hold sexual intercourse with their mothers. The forest trees produce unseasonable flowers and fruits.

Women who are pregnant and those that are not, are giving birth to monsters, Carnivorous beasts mingle with birds and are feeding together.

Inauspicious beasts, some having three horns, some having four eyes, some five legs, some two sexual organs, some two heads, some two tails, and some fearful teeth.

Are born with mounts wide open : they are emitting fearful cries. Horses with three legs, with crests, with four teeth and with horns are also born.

O king, the wives of many Brahmavadins in your city are seen to give birth to Garuda's and pea-cocks.

O king, the mare gives birth to calves the bitch to jackals. Cooks, antelopes and parrots are all sending forth inauspicious notes.

Women give birth to four or five daughters all at a time, and these, as soon as born, dance, sing, and laugh.

The men of the lowest castes laugh, and dance and sign and thus indicate fearful evils.

Infants as if drawn by death are painting armed images. They are running against one another with maces in their hands.

Being desirous of battle, they are breaking down the towns (they have made in sports). Lotuses and lilies are growing on trees.

Strong winds are fearfully blowing and the dust is unceasingly flying. The earth is often quaking and Rahu advances towards the sun.

Ketu (the white planet) stops on passing beyond the constellation Chitra. All this forebodes the total destruction of the Kurus.

A fearful comet is rising, and is distressing the constellation Pushya. This great planet will cause terrible harm to both the armies.

Mars advances towards Magha and Brihaspati towards Shravana. the sun's offspring (Shani) advances towards Phalguni and afflicts it.

The planet Shukra rises towards Purva Bhadra. Shining brilliantly and shooting towards the Uttara Bhadra, it looks towards it.

Ketu, blazing up like smoky fire, stops and afflicts the effulgent constellation of Indra.

The constellation Dhruva, fearfully blazing, advances towards the right. Both the sun and the moon distress Rohini. The terrible planet Rahu has taken up its position between Chitra and Svati (constellations).

Three-bodied planct, effulgent like fire passing in a round and round way stops encircling Shravana over ridden by Brihaspati.

O great king, the earth that always produce particular crops at particular seasons is simultaneously being overgrown with crops of every season. Every stalk of barely has five years and every stalk of paddy has a hundred.

Those animals that are the best of all creatures in the world and upon whom depends the preservation of the whole universe, namely kine, when milked after the calves have sucked them give only blood.

Rays of light are coming out from bows and swords produce great luster. It is evident these weapons see before them the battle as if it has already begun.

The shine of weapons, of the water, of the armours and of the standards looks like fire. A great slaughter of men and beasts is sure to take place.

O descendant of Bharata, O king, in this battle of the Kurus and the Pandavas the earth will appear like a river of blood with the standards as so many rafts.

Animals and birds, on all sides, utter harsh cries with their mouths burning like fire. This forebode fearful evils.

A bird, with only one wing, one eye and onc leg ranges in the sky in the night. It fearfully screamed in anger, as if it wants every body to vomit blood.

O king of kings, it appears that all weapons are now blazing in great brilliance. But the effulgence of the constellation of the seven Rishis has become dim.

Those two burning planets namely Brihaspati and Shani have become fixed for a year.

Three lunation's, meeting twice or thrice in one and the same fortnight and on the thirteenth day, therefore, from the first luxation, according as it is the day of the fullmoon or the new-moon, the moon and the sun are devoured by Rahu. This forebodes a great slaughter (of creatures).

All direction of the earth, covered by showers of dust appears greatly inauspicious. Fearful clouds, foreboding evil, pour showers of blood in the night.

O king, Rahu of terrible deeds also afflicts Krittika. Rough winds, foreboding terrible danger, are continually blowing.

All these bring in a war, which is characterised by many weeping. The constellations are divided into three classes. Upon one or the other of each class evil planet has shed its influence. All this forebodes terrible consequences.

A lunar fortnight has hither to consisted of fourteen days, or fifteen days or sixteen days. But on the thirteenth day and in the course of the same month two eclipses have taken place.

The sun and the moon therefore undergoing eclipses on unusual days willing in a great slaughter of all creatures on earth. Even the Rakshasas drinking mouthful of blood are not satiated.

The great rivers flow in opposite directions. The waters of rivers have turned into blood,

Meteors, as effulgent as Indra's thunder, fall on earth with loud sound. When this night passes away, a great danger will fall on you.

Men with lighted torches in their hands will meet great difficulty to meet together, for a thick gloom will cover all space.

Great Rishis have said that in such circumstances, the earth drinks the blood of thousands of kings. From the mountains of Kailasa, Mandara and Himalayas.

Thousands of sounds are heard thousands of mountain-summits are falling down. Earth trembles, and in consequence the four oceans.

Having exceedingly swelled, seem ready to overflow their banks in order to afflict the earth. Fearful winds with stones are blowing crushing all the trees.

Bcing crushed by the high wind and stuck by lightning, sacred and common trees in villages and towns are falling down.

When the Brahmanas pour sacrificial libations on fire, it now becomes blue or red or yellow. Its flame turns towards the left, and produces a bad odor accompanied by loud sounds.

O kings, touch, smell and taste have become quite the contrary. The standards of the warriors often tremble and they send forth smoke. Drums and cymbals cast off showers of coat dust.

From the top of tall trees crows fly away in circles from the left. They are ultering terrible cries. All of them are sending forth fearful cries of pakka, pakka.

They are sitting on the tops of standards foreboding the destruction of the kings. Poor elephants run hither and thither throwing off urine and excreta. The horses all melancholy, while the elephants are going into the water.

Having heard all this, O descendant of Bharata, do what is proper, so that the world may not meet with extermination. are

Dhritarashtra said Having heard the words of father Dhritarashtra said: It is my belief that all this has been previously ordained.

If the kings according to the duties of Kshatriyas die in battle, they will then go to the regions reserved for heroes and thus obtain eternal happiness only.

If these foremost of men abandon their lives in a great battle, they will acquire fame in this world and great and eternal happiness in the world ncxi.

Vaishampayana said O foremost of kings, having been thus addressed by his son Dhritarashtra, that best of poets, that Rishi Vyasa, concentrated his mind in great meditation.

Having meditated for a moment, Vyasa thus again spoke, O king of kings, “there is no doubt that Time destroys the Universe.

It is Time also which creates the worlds. There is nothing here on earth which is everlasting. Therefore show the path of virtue। to the Kurus, to your relations, your kinsmen and friends. You are the proper person to restrain them. It is said that slaughter of kinsmen is sinful. Do not act in a way which would be disagreeable to me.

O king, Death himself, has taken birth in the form of your son. Slaughter is never spoken high of in the Vedas. It can never produce any good.

The custom of a family brings about his own ruin who destroys it resembling his own body. For the destruction of this race as well as that of kings, it is (no doubt). Time that leads you to this wrong path although you are capable to withstand it. O king, in the shape of a kingdom, a great calamity has befallen you.

Your virtue suffers a great diminution. Show to your son what is virtuous. O invincible hero, of what value is a kingdom that brings in sin?

Protect your good name, your virtue and your fame. You will then be able to obtain heaven. Let the Pandavas have their kingdom and let the entire Kuru race have the peace.”

When that foremost of Brahmanas (Vyasa) was thus speaking in a sorrowful tone, the son of Ambika, accomplished in speech, king Dhritarashtra, thus spoke to him.

Dhritarashtra said My knowledge of life and death is the same as yours. The truth of this is well known to me. But men lose (good) judgement in things which concern their interest. O sire, know me to be an ordinary man.

O Rishi of immeasurable power. I pray to you to extend your power towards us. You have your soul under complete control, you are my preceptor and guide. O great Rishi, my sons do not obey me. My mind is not inclined to commit sin. You are the instrument of the fame, the achievements and virtue of the Bharata race. You are the respected grandfather of both the Kurus and the Pandavas.

Vyasa said O son of Vichitravirya, tell me openly what is in your mind. I shall remove your doubts.

Dhritarashtra said O reverend sir, I desire to hear from you all those signs that happier before those that become victorious in battle.

Vyasa said The sacred fire assumes a cheerful luster. Its light rises upwards. Its flames bend towards the right. It blazes forth without any smoke. The libations poured in it produce sweet fragrance. These are said to be the indications of future success.

The conchs and cymbals produce deep and loud sounds, the sun and the moon give forth pure rays. These are said to be the indications of future success.

Flying or sitting crows utter agreeable cries. Those warriors that are behind urge those that are in front to advance.

When vultures, swans, parrots, cranes, and woodpeckers utter delightful cries and go towards the right, the Brahmanas say that victory in such cases is certain.

Those, whose ornaments, armours and standards and their bright shields become incapable of being stared at, always conquei their enemies.

Those, that send forth cheerful shouts, o descendant of Bharata, those warriors, whose courage is not damped and whose garlands do not fade, always cross the ocean of battle.

Those who wishing to enter into the ranks of the foe, utter even kind words and those who warn the foe before striking always obtain victory.

When the objects of hearing, seeing, tasting, touching and smelling do not undergo any change and become auspicious and if there is joy amongst the warriors at all time, it indicates victory.

O king, these are the indications of victory, namely the winds, the clouds and the birds all become favourable, and the clouds and rainbows that pour beneficial showers.

O king, these are the indications that armies would secure success, while, O king, all these become quite the conirary in the case of those that are on the point of death.

Whether the army be small or large cheerfulness of its soldiers is said to be a certain sign of its winning victory.

One soldier, struck with panic, can cause a large army to be alarmed and to take to flight, it causes even the bravest of warriors to be frightened.

If a large ariny is once broken up and rouled, it cannot be easily rallied like a herd of deer in a fright or a mighty current of waters (in rains).

O descendant of Bharata, if a large army is once routed, it is incapable of being rallied; on the other hand, seeing it dispersed, even wellskilled warriors become confounded.

Secing soldiers struck with panic and flying, the panic spreads also in other directions. O king, in such cases the whole army is soon broken up and all fly in all directions.

O king, when an army is routed, even brave leaders at the head of large divisions of the army consisting of four kinds of troops can not rally them.

It is said that the success that is obtained by negotiations and other means is the best. That which is secured by creating disunion (amongst the enemy) is but indifferent. O king, the success that is secured by battle is the worst.

There are many evils in battle; the first and the foremost is slaughter. Even fifty brave men who know one another, who are not dispirited, who are free from family ties and who are firmly resolved can defeat a large ariny. Even fire, six or seven, who do not retreat can obtain victory.

O descendant of Bharata, Vinata's son Garuda never asks the assistance of many followers when he sees even a large number of birds.

Therefore the strength of number of an army is not always the cause of victory. Victory is always uncertain. It depends on chance. Even those that obtain victory have to suffer loss.