Shloka 25

Devanagari script

सेनाके सभी वाहन भयके मारे मल-मूत्र करने लगे। इस प्रकार सवारियोंसहित सारी सेना उद्धिग्न हो गयी ।। सीदन्ति सम नरा राजन्‌ शड्खशब्देन मारिष | विसंज्ञाश्नाभवन्‌ केचित्‌ केचिद्‌ राजन्‌ वितत्रसु:

Transliteration

sīdanti sma narā rājan śaṅkhaśabdena māriṣa | visaṃjñāś cābhavan kecit kecid rājan vitratrusuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, O venerable one, at the blare of the conches the warriors began to falter. Some lost consciousness, and others, O King, were seized with terror.”

Word by Word

सीदन्तिsink down, become dejected

समम्together, equally, all at once

नराःmen, warriors

राजन्O king

शङ्खशब्देनby the sound of the conch

मारिषO venerable one / sir

विसंज्ञाःunconscious, senseless

अभवन्became

केचित्some

केचित्others / some

राजन्O king

वित्रत्रसुःwere terrified, trembled

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

conch (śaṅkha)

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 the fragility of human composure in war: mere sound-signals (like conches) can trigger panic, showing how fear spreads through armies and how inner steadiness is ethically and strategically crucial.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the conch-blast causes many fighters to falter—some faint and others tremble in fear—indicating widespread agitation in the battlefield ranks.