Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ततो हलहलाशब्दस्तव सैन्येषु भारत । दृष्टवा सेनापतिं तूर्ण यान्तं शल्यरथं प्रति,भारत! तब सेनापति श्वेतको शीघ्रतापूर्वक शल्यके रथकी ओर जाते देख आपकी सेनाओंमें हाहाकार मच गया

Transliteration

tato halahalāśabdas tava sainyeṣu bhārata | dṛṣṭvā senāpatiṁ tūrṇaṁ yāntaṁ śalyarathaṁ prati ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dann, o Bhārata, erhob sich in deinen Heeren ein lauter Aufschrei der Bestürzung, als sie sahen, wie der Heerführer Śveta eilends auf Śalyas Wagen zustrebte.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

हलहलाशब्दःa cry of “halahalā” (uproar)

तवyour

सैन्येषुin the armies

भारतO Bhārata

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

सेनापतिम्the commander

तूर्णम्swiftly

यान्तम्going, proceeding

शल्यरथम्Śalya’s chariot

प्रतिtowards

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'Bhārata')

senāpati (the commander)

Śalya

Śalya’s chariot

Kaurava army (tava sainyeṣu)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and psychological dimension of warfare: armies are not moved only by weapons but by confidence, fear, and the perceived stability of leadership. Dependence on a single commander makes morale vulnerable; steadiness in one’s duty (dharma) is tested when sudden movements signal danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an alarmed uproar spread through the Kaurava ranks when they saw their commander quickly advancing toward Śalya’s chariot—an action interpreted as a critical, risky engagement that could change the battle’s course.