Shloka 34

Devanagari script

बकासुरके विशालकाय भ्राता शत्रुमन अलायुधको मारा गया देख पांचाल और पाण्डव सिंहनाद करने लगे ।। ततो भेरीसहस्राणि शड्खानामयुतानि च । अवादयन्‌ पाण्डवेया राक्षसे निहते युधि,युद्धस्थलमें उस राक्षसके मारे जानेपर पाण्डवदलके सैनिकोंने सहस्रों नगाड़े और हजारों शंख बजाये

Transliteration

tato bherīsahasrāṇi śaṅkhānām ayutāni ca | avādayan pāṇḍaveyā rākṣase nihate yudhi ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, when that rākṣasa had been slain on the battlefield, the warriors of the Pāṇḍavas sounded thousands of kettle-drums and tens of thousands of conches—proclaiming the fall of a fearsome foe.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

भेरी-सहस्राणिthousands of kettle-drums

शङ्खानाम्of conches

अयुतानिten-thousands (myriads)

चand

अवादयन्they sounded/played

पाण्डवेयाःthe Pandavas' men (Pandava-side warriors)

राक्षसेwhen/with the demon (being ...)

निहतेslain

युधिin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas (Pāṇḍaveyāḥ)

Rākṣasa (unnamed in the verse)

Bherī (war-drums)

Śaṅkha (conches)

Battlefield (yudhi)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how collective signals—drums and conches—serve not merely as celebration but as ethical and strategic communication in war: announcing a decisive event, consolidating unity, and sustaining resolve amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a rākṣasa combatant is killed in the battle, the Pāṇḍava forces respond by loudly sounding thousands of war-drums and vast numbers of conches, marking victory and rallying their troops.