Shloka 14

आचार्य-क्षमा, देśa–kāla-नīti, तथा भेद-दोषः

Teacher-Reconciliation, Timing-Policy, and the Fault of Factionalism

Devanagari script

उत्तर उवाच श्रुता मे शड्खशब्दाश्न भेरीशब्दाश्न पुष्कला: | कुण्जराणां निनदतां व्यूढानीकेषु तिषताम्‌

Transliteration

uttara uvāca śrutā me śaṅkhaśabdāś ca bherīśabdāś ca puṣkalāḥ | kuñjarāṇāṁ ninadatāṁ vyūḍhānīkeṣu tiṣṭhatām ||

Translation

Uttara sprach: „O bester der Helden! Wahrlich, ich habe oft das Dröhnen der Muschelhörner und das furchterregende Rollen der Kriegstrommeln gehört. Auch das Trompeten der Elefanten habe ich vernommen, wenn sie in den zum Kampf geordneten Heeren standen.“

Word by Word

• {'uttara uvāca': 'Uttara said', 'śrutāḥ (śrutā me)': 'heard (by me)', 'śaṅkha-śabda': 'sound of a conch

• conch-blast', 'bherī-śabda': 'sound of a war-drum

• drumbeat', 'puṣkalāḥ': 'abundant, many, plentiful', 'kuñjara': 'elephant', 'ninadatām': 'of those roaring/trumpeting (genitive plural participle)', 'vyūḍha': 'arrayed, formed up (in battle order)', 'anīka': 'army, battle-array, troop-formation', 'vyūḍhānīkeṣu': 'in/among armies drawn up in formation (locative plural)', 'tiṣṭhatām': 'of those standing/remaining (genitive plural participle)'}

Speaker

उत्तर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Uttara
• conch (śaṅkha)
• war-drum (bherī)
• elephants (kuñjara)
• battle-array/army formation (vyūḍhānīka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the outward signs of warfare—conches, drums, and elephants—and suggests a contrast between familiarity with war’s sounds and the deeper courage and discernment required in actual combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttara speaks to a warrior, asserting that he has often heard the typical sounds of battle—conches, drums, and elephants in formation—implying prior exposure to martial scenes as the conversation moves toward the prospect of fighting.