Shloka 55
Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot
अवादयन्त गन्धर्वा वादित्र॑ं सुमनोहरम्
avādayanta gandharvā vāditraṃ sumanoharam
Sañjaya said: The Gandharvas played a most enchanting musical instrument, filling the scene with captivating sound—an auspicious, otherworldly accompaniment amid the grave events of the war narrative.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, even amid violent conflict, the epic frames events within a larger cosmic order: celestial music can signal auspiciousness, solemnity, or a heightened, otherworldly significance to what is unfolding.
Sañjaya reports that Gandharvas—heavenly musicians—are sounding enchanting instrumental music, suggesting a supernatural or ceremonial atmosphere surrounding the events being narrated in this section of Śalya Parva.