घोषेण महता राजन् पूरयन्तीव मेदिनीम् | ज्वलन्ती तेजसा भीमा त्रासयामास ते सुतान्,राजन! तेजसे प्रज्वलित होनेवाली उस भयंकर गदाने अपने महान् घोषसे इस पृथ्वीको परिपूर्ण करके आपके पुत्रोंको भयभीत कर दिया
ghoṣeṇa mahatā rājan pūrayantīva medinīm | jvalantī tejasā bhīmā trāsayāmāsa te sutān rājan |
Sañjaya said: O King, that dreadful mace—blazing with its own radiance—seemed to fill the very earth with its mighty roar, and it struck your sons with fear.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the psychological dimension of warfare: terror and overwhelming display of power can shake even seasoned warriors. Ethically, it implies that fear induced by force is not the same as dharma; it is an instrument of battle, fleeting and contingent, whereas righteousness is judged by intent, duty, and restraint.
Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra how a fearsome, radiant mace roars so loudly that it seems to fill the earth, and this spectacle frightens Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons (the Kauravas) on the battlefield.