Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 23: Khara Disregards Evil Omens on the Way
Text 3.23.11
नित्याशुभकरा युद्धे शिवा घोरनिदर्शनाः।
नेदुर्बलस्याभिमुखं ज्वालोद्गारिभिराननैः॥
nityāśubhakarā yuddhe śivā ghora-nidarśanāḥ
nedur balasyābhimukhaṁ jvālodgāribhir ānanaiḥ
nitya-aśubhakarāḥ = always indicative of inauspiciousness; yuddhe = in battle; śivāḥ = jackals 1; ghora-nidarśanāḥ = and portending terrible results; neduḥ = howled; balasya = of the army; abhimukham = in front; jvālā-udgāribhiḥ = spitting out flames; ānanaiḥ = with faces.
Jackals which always indicate inauspiciousness in battle and which portend terrible results howled in front of the army while their faces spat out flames.
The author now describes the howls of the jackals before the army.