यादृशा इह कूजन्ति पक्षिणो वनचारिणः।
अग्रतो नो भयं प्राप्तं संशयो जीवितस्य च॥
yādṛśā iha kūjanti pakṣiṇo vanacāriṇaḥ
agrato no bhayaṁ prāptaṁ saṁśayo jīvitasya ca
yādṛśāḥ = from the way; iha = now; kūjanti = are cooing; pakṣiṇaḥ = the birds; vanacāriṇaḥ = flying in the forest; agrataḥ = will now; naḥ = to us; bhayam = [it is clear that] a danger; prāptam = befall upon; saṁśayaḥ = it is doubtful; jīvitasya ca = if we would survive.
From the way the birds flying in the forest are cooing now, [it is clear that] a danger will now befall upon us. It is doubtful if we would survive.
1 It is also grammatically feasible to read the second half of the verse as agrato no ’bhayaṁ prāptaṁ saṁśayo jīvitasya ca, in which case the verse will mean “From the way the birds flying in the forest are cooing now, [it is clear that] we will face no danger and it is doubtful if [Our opponents] would survive.” Technical note: agrataḥ asmākaṁ purata ity arthaḥ. vanacāriṇaḥ yādṛśāḥ saumyāḥ pakṣiṇaḥ kūjanti tādṛśaiḥ sunimittaiḥ no ’smākam abhayam prāptam. ca-kārād arīṇāṁ jīvitasya saṁśayaś ca prāpta ity arthaḥ.
Yādṛśāḥ indicates that the birds had previously broadcast the news [about the rākṣasas departing for war].1