Shloka 4
Arjuna–Bhīṣma Strategic Engagement and Mutual Arrow-Interdiction (भीष्मार्जुनसमागमः)
क्षेेडा: किलकिलाशब्दा: क्रकचा गोविषाणिका: । भेरीमृदड़मुरजा हयकुञ्जरनि:स्वना:
kheḍāḥ kilakilāśabdāḥ krakacā govīṣāṇikāḥ | bherīmṛdaṅgamurajā hayakuñjaraniḥsvanāḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Da erhob sich ein Getöse von Lauten — Zurufe und schrille Schreie, das raue Dröhnen von Instrumenten wie dem krakaca und dem Kuhhorn, das Wummern von bhērī-, mṛdaṅga- und muraja-Trommeln, dazu das donnernde Wiehern der Pferde und das Brüllen der Elefanten.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not give a direct moral injunction; its ethical force is contextual: it portrays how war rapidly becomes an overwhelming sensory and emotional storm. In the Mahābhārata’s dharma-discourse, such descriptions underscore the gravity of choosing war—once begun, it sweeps up individuals bound by duty, loyalty, and vows, making discernment and restraint difficult.
Sañjaya reports the opening surge of combat: battle-cries, instruments, drums, and the cries of horses and elephants rise together as the armies close. The verse functions as a soundscape of escalation, marking the transition from formation and readiness to active, fierce engagement.