Shloka 25

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

Devanagari script

मृदज्रानकनिह्वदिर्सझरै: पटहैस्तथा

Transliteration

mṛdaṅgānaka-nihvādaiḥ sa-jharaiḥ paṭahais tathā

Translation

Sañjaya said: “There arose a resounding din—of mṛdaṅgas and ānakas, of jharas, and likewise of paṭaha war-drums.” The verse underscores how the battlefield’s instruments amplify collective resolve and intimidation, signaling the escalation of conflict and the moral weight of war’s momentum.

Word by Word

• मृदङ्गानां: of drums (mṛdaṅgas)
• मृदङ्गानां: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदङ्ग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कनिह्वदैः: with sounds/roars
• कनिह्वदैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनिह्वद
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सझरैः: with (those) having a rushing/streaming (quality)
• सझरैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-झर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पटहैः: with kettle-drums (paṭahas)
• पटहैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटह
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तथा: and also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mṛdaṅga (drum)
• ānaka (war-drum)
• jhara (percussion instrument)
• paṭaha (war-drum)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war is not only fought with weapons but also with sound and spectacle—drums and proclamations that stir courage, spread fear, and propel groups into action, reminding readers of the psychological and ethical gravity that accompanies collective violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports the rising tumult on the battlefield: multiple kinds of drums and percussion instruments are being sounded together, indicating mobilization, heightened tension, and the onset or intensification of combat.