Shloka 8

Devanagari script

ततः कुलिन्देषु हतेषु तेष्वथ प्रह्ष्रूपास्तव ते महारथा: । भशं प्रदध्मुर्लवणाम्बुसम्भवान्‌ परांश्न बाणासनपाणयो< भ्ययु:,उन कुलिन्द वीरोंके मारे जानेपर आपके महारथी बड़े प्रसन्न हुए। वे जोर-जोरसे शंख बजाने लगे और हाथमें धनुष-बाण लिये शत्रुओंपर टूट पड़े

Transliteration

tataḥ kulindeṣu hateṣu teṣv atha prahṛṣṭarūpās tava te mahārathāḥ | śaṅkhaṃ pradadhmur lavaṇāmbu-sambhavān parāñ śatrūn bāṇāsana-pāṇayo 'bhyayuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, when those Kulinda warriors had been slain, your great chariot-fighters grew openly elated. Blowing their conches, born of the ocean’s salt waters, they surged against the enemy with bows and arrows in hand.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

कुलिन्देषुamong the Kulindas

हतेषुwhen (they were) slain

तेषुin/among them

अथthen, now

प्रहृष्टाःdelighted, very glad

तवof you, your

तेthose, they

महारथाःgreat chariot-warriors

भृशम्loudly, greatly

प्रदध्मुःblew (trumpeted)

लवणाम्बुसम्भवान्conches born of the salt-water (ocean)

परान्enemies, opponents

चand

बाणासनपाणयःthose whose hands held arrows and bow

अभ्ययुःrushed upon, attacked

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kulindas

Kaurava mahārathas (your great chariot-warriors)

conch (śaṅkha)

bow (āsana/dhanus)

arrows (bāṇa)

enemies (śatravaḥ)

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 a moral-psychological pattern in war: success and the fall of opponents can produce exhilaration that fuels further violence. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical landscape, this raises tension between kṣatriya duty (pressing the battle) and the danger of becoming driven by triumph and aggression rather than disciplined dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the Kulinda fighters are killed, the Kaurava-side elite warriors (addressed as 'your' by Sañjaya to Dhṛtarāṣṭra) rejoice, blow their conches loudly, and charge the opposing forces with bows and arrows ready.