Shloka 17
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय ८७: सात्यकेरनुयात्रा
Sātyaki’s resolve and departure to reach Arjuna
श्रूयते सोडद्य न तथा केकयानां च वेश्मसु । नित्यं प्रमुदितानां च तालगीतस्वनो महान्
śrūyate so 'dya na tathā kekayānāṃ ca veśmasu | nityaṃ pramuditānāṃ ca tālagītasvano mahān ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Today, in the houses of the Kekayas, that great sound of time-keeping and song—so regularly heard among those who are ever cheerful—is not heard in the same way.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war and calamity silence ordinary joy: when dharma is shaken and families are struck by loss, even familiar sounds of celebration disappear, revealing the ethical cost of conflict on society.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra observes a troubling change: the Kekayas’ homes, once marked by constant cheerful music and rhythmic accompaniment, are now quiet—an implicit sign of distress and mourning amid the events of the war.