Shloka 286

Devanagari script

शड्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषस्तुमुल: सर्वतो5भवत्‌ | वहाँ बैठे हुए नरेशगण आश्वर्यसे चकित हो सब ओर अपने दुपट्टे हिलाने लगे। चारों ओर शंख और नगाड़ोंकी गम्भीर ध्वनि गूँज उठी

Transliteration

śaṅkha-dundubhi-nirghoṣas tumulaḥ sarvato 'bhavat |

Translation

Sañjaya said: From every side there arose a tumultuous roar—the deep, reverberating sound of conches and kettle-drums. The assembled kings, struck with astonishment, waved their cloths in excitement.

Word by Word

• शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषः: the roar/sound of conches and kettle-drums
• शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख-दुन्दुभि-निर्घोष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तुमुलः: tumultuous, loud
• तुमुलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुमुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वतः: on all sides, everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• अभवत्: arose, became, occurred
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• conch (śaṅkha)
• kettle-drum (dundubhi)
• kings (nṛpa/nareśa; implied by the accompanying narrative)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how ritualized sounds—conches and war-drums—serve to unify and galvanize warriors, reflecting kṣatriya-dharma where courage, readiness, and collective resolve are publicly affirmed at the outset of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that a thunderous, all-pervading clamor of conches and drums erupts. The gathered kings react with amazement and excitement, signaling that the armies are fully roused and the battle mood has intensified.