Shloka 35
उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १४० (कृष्णेन कर्णं प्रति पाण्डवबल-वैशिष्ट्यप्रदर्शनम्) / Udyoga Parva, Chapter 140
Krishna’s appraisal of Pandava advantage and war portents
शड्खशब्दा: समुरजा भेर्यश्व मधुसूदन । उत्कृष्टसिंहनादश्न सुब्रह्मण्यो भविष्यति
śaṅkhaśabdāḥ samurajā bheryaśva madhusūdana | utkṛṣṭasiṃhanādaś ca subrahmaṇyo bhaviṣyati ||
Karna said: “O Madhusūdana, the blare of conches will rise together with the roll of drums and the neighing of horses; and there will be a lofty lion-roar. The auspicious war-cry ‘Subrahmaṇya!’ will be raised.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war is framed not only as physical conflict but as a charged moral-ritual moment: martial sounds (conches, drums, horse-neighs, lion-roar) and an auspicious invocation (‘Subrahmaṇya’) are presented as signals of collective resolve and the solemn, consecrated entry into battle.
Karna addresses Madhusūdana, forecasting the imminent outbreak of battle: the battlefield will resound with conches and drums, horses will neigh, warriors will roar like lions, and the traditional auspicious cry ‘Subrahmaṇya’ will be raised—depicting the mobilization and ceremonial intensity preceding combat.