Shloka 91
भरतनन्दन! वहाँ एकत्र हुए सम्पूर्ण जगत्के वीर पृथक्-पृथक् शंखध्वनि करने लगे। वीर श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनने तथा शल्य और कर्णने भी अपना-अपना शंख बजाया ।। तद् भीरुसंत्रासकरं युद्ध समभवत्तदा । अन्योन्यस्पर्थिनोरुग्रं शक्रशम्बरयोरिव
bharatanandana! tatra ekatra huye samasta jagat-ke vīraḥ pṛthak-pṛthak śaṅkha-dhvaniṃ kartuṃ pracakramuḥ. vīraḥ śrīkṛṣṇaḥ arjunaś ca tathā śalyaḥ karṇaś ca api sva-sva-śaṅkhaṃ vādayām āsuḥ. tad bhīru-saṃtrāsa-karaṃ yuddhaṃ samabhavat tadā, anyonya-spardhinor ugraṃ śakra-śambarayor iva.
Sañjaya sprach: „O Nachkomme Bharatas, dort begannen die aus der ganzen Welt versammelten Helden, ihre Muschelhörner erklingen zu lassen, ein jeder auf seine Weise. Der tapfere Krishna und Arjuna, ebenso Śalya und Karṇa, bliesen jeder in sein eigenes Horn. Da erhob sich die Schlacht—für die Zaghaften erschreckend—wild vor gegenseitigem Wetteifer, wie der schaurige Kampf zwischen Indra und Śambara.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war is driven by competitive pride and mutual rivalry; its outward signals (like conch-blasts) can inflame courage in some while producing fear in others. Ethically, it underscores the grave psychological and moral weight of battle even among renowned heroes.
As the armies gather, warriors on both sides sound their conches. Krishna and Arjuna do so for the Pāṇḍavas, while Shalya and Karna do so for the Kauravas. The battle then erupts, described as terrifying and intensely competitive, compared to the mythic clash of Indra and Śambara.