Shloka 29

जयद्रथविमोचन–पलायनवृत्तान्तः

Recovery of Draupadī and Jayadratha’s flight

Devanagari script

ततो हलहलाशब्द: प्रादुरासीद्‌ विशाम्पते । हाहाकाराश्न बहवो नगरे नागसाह्नये,जनमेजय! तदनन्तर हस्तिनापुर नगरमें सब ओर बड़ा भारी कोलाहल मच गया। अनेक प्रकारके हाहाकार सुनायी देने लगे

Transliteration

tato halahalāśabdaḥ prādurāsīd viśāmpate | hāhākārāś ca bahavo nagare nāgasāhvaye, janamejaya |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Then, O lord of the people, a clamorous uproar suddenly arose. Many cries of distress—shouts of ‘Alas! Alas!’—were heard throughout the city called Nāgasāhvaya (Hastināpura), O Janamejaya.”

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereupon

हलहलाशब्दःa loud clamorous sound ('halahalā' cry)

प्रादुरासीत्arose/appeared

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

हाहाकाराःcries of distress; wailings

चand

बहवःmany

नगरेin the city

नागसाह्वयेin (the city) called Nāga (i.e., Hastināpura)

जनमेजयO Janamejaya

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Nāgasāhvaya (Hastināpura)

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 how quickly collective fear can seize a city, implying an ethical demand for steadiness, clear judgment, and responsible leadership when society is disturbed by sudden alarms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports to King Janamejaya that a great uproar and widespread cries of distress erupted in Nāgasāhvaya (Hastināpura), marking a dramatic turn where the populace reacts to an alarming event.