Shloka 226
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
वाद्यमानान्यराजन्त मेघशब्दो यथा दिवि । तदनन्तर सहस्रों तूर्य और कई सहस्र रणभेरियाँ बज उठीं, जो आकाशमें मेघोंकी गर्जनाके समान प्रतीत हो रही थीं
vādyamānāny arājanta meghaśabdo yathā divi |
Sañjaya sprach: Die gespielten Instrumente hallten in herrlichem Widerklang, gleich dem Grollen der Gewitterwolken am Himmel. Unmittelbar darauf wurden Tausende von Trompeten und viele Tausende von Kriegstrommeln geschlagen; ihr Dröhnen schien wie Donner aus den Wolken — ein unheilvoll anschwellender Strom kriegerischer Glut, der den gemeinsamen Entschluss des Heeres und die nahende Gewalt der Schlacht verkündete.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily heightens the ethical gravity of war: the thunder-like roar of instruments symbolizes collective human will moving toward violence, reminding the listener that mass enthusiasm can magnify the consequences of adharma or dharma depending on the cause being served.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield soundscape: war-instruments are played in great numbers—trumpets and war-drums—whose booming resonance is compared to thunder in the sky, marking the escalation toward combat.