Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 3
Kuru-Sainika-Āśvāsana and Vijayaghoṣaṇa
Reassuring the Kuru Soldiers; Proclaiming Victory
नदद्धरिश्व महानागैहल्वेषमाणैश्न वाजिभि: | भेरीशड्खनिनादैश्व स शब्दस्तुमुलो5भवत्
nadad-dhariśva-mahānāgaiḥ helveṣamāṇaiś ca vājibhiḥ | bherī-śaṅkha-ninādaiś ca sa śabdas tumulo 'bhavat ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Mit dem Trompeten der großen Kriegselefanten, dem Wiehern der Pferde und dem Dröhnen von Kesseltrommeln und Muschelhörnern schwollen die vereinten Klänge zu einem gewaltigen Getöse über das ganze Schlachtfeld an—ein hörbares Zeichen, dass der bewaffnete Kampf seine volle Kraft und seinen Schwung gesammelt hatte.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights how collective martial instruments and animals create an overwhelming battlefield din, underscoring the gravity of impending violence and the need for steadiness and discernment amid chaos.
As forces assemble, war-elephants trumpet, horses neigh, and drums and conches are sounded; their combined noise rises into a great tumult on the battlefield, signaling the escalation toward open combat.