Shloka 20
द्रोणपर्व (अध्याय १) — भीष्मनिधनानन्तरं धृतराष्ट्रस्य शोकः, सेनायाः स्थितिः, कर्णस्मरणं च
Droṇa Parva, Chapter 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s grief after Bhīṣma’s fall and the army’s reorientation toward Karṇa
ततस्तूर्यनिनादैश्व॒ भेरीणां निनदेन च । तावकानामनीकानि परेषां च विनिर्ययु:,तदनन्तर बाजोंकी ध्वनि और नगाड़ोंकी गड़गड़ाहटके साथ आपकी तथा पाण्डवोंकी भी सेनाएँ युद्धके लिये निकलीं
tatas tūryaninādaiś ca bherīṇāṃ ninadena ca | tāvakānām anīkāni pareṣāṃ ca viniryayuḥ ||
Then, amid the blare of trumpets and the thunderous roll of kettle-drums, the battle-formations of your forces and of the opposing side as well moved out—both armies stepping forward into the fateful work of war, where duty, ambition, and consequence are about to be tested.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inevitability and gravity of collective action in war: once the instruments of battle sound, both sides advance, and the moral weight of decisions shifts from intention to consequence—testing rulers and warriors on how they uphold duty (dharma) amid violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, after the martial signals—trumpets and war-drums—both the Kaurava formations and the opposing Pāṇḍava formations move out to engage, marking the formal commencement of battle movements.