Shloka 51
जघान द्रुपदानीके रथान् सप्त महारथ: । तत: किलकिलाशब्द: क्षणेन समभूत् तदा
sañjaya uvāca | jaghāna drupadānīke rathān sapta mahārathaḥ | tataḥ kilakilāśabdaḥ kṣaṇena samabhūt tadā ||
Sañjaya sprach: Der große Wagenkämpfer schlug sieben Streitwagen in Drupadas Abteilung nieder. Da erhob sich in eben diesem Augenblick ein lauter, wogender Aufschrei über dem Schlachtfeld—ein Ausbruch von Kriegslärm, der den jähen Umschwung des Geschicks im Zusammenprall der Waffen kündet.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how swiftly actions in war produce immediate collective consequences: a single elite warrior’s decisive strike changes the emotional and tactical atmosphere, erupting into clamour. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—kṣatriya prowess and duty on one side, and the heavy cost of violence on the other.
Sañjaya reports that a great warrior destroys seven chariots within Drupada’s battle-array. Immediately afterward, a loud uproar (kilakilā) rises—signaling shock, alarm, or rallying cries among the troops as the battle’s intensity spikes.