Shloka 85
द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः
Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry
मृदज्जौ चात्र विपुलौ दिव्यौ नन्दोपनन्दकौ । यन्त्रेणाहन्यमानौ च सुस्वनौ हर्षवर्धनी,इस ध्वजामें नन््द-उपनन्द नामक दो विशाल एवं दिव्य मृदंग लगे हुए हैं। वे यन्त्रके द्वारा बिना बजाये बजते हैं और सुन्दर शब्दका विस्तार करके सबका हर्ष बढ़ाते हैं
mṛdaṅgau cātra vipulau divyau nandopanandakau | yantreṇāhanyamānau ca susvanau harṣavardhanī ||
Sañjaya said: “On that banner are fixed two large, divine kettle-drums named Nanda and Upananda. Set in motion by a mechanism, they resound without being struck, spreading a beautiful sound that heightens the warriors’ exhilaration.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how external instruments—symbols, sound, and spectacle—can powerfully shape collective emotion in war. Ethically, it hints at the ambivalence of such stimulation: it can unify and embolden, yet it also fuels the escalation of violence by amplifying excitement and martial fervor.
Sañjaya describes a war-standard bearing two divine drums, Nanda and Upananda. Through a mechanical device they produce resonant, pleasing sounds without being manually struck, thereby increasing the army’s enthusiasm and battle-spirit.