Shloka 97
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
ननर्द बहुधा राजन् हृष्टश्नासीत् परंतप: । शड्खं दध्मौ च समरे सिंहनादं ननाद च
sañjaya uvāca | nanarda bahudhā rājan hṛṣṭaś cāsīt paraṃtapaḥ | śaṅkhaṃ dadhmau ca samare siṃhanādaṃ nanāda ca ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi, ce vaillant, fléau des ennemis, fut saisi d’une exultation sans bornes. À maintes reprises il rugit ; puis, sur le champ de bataille, il sonna la conque et poussa un cri de guerre pareil au rugissement du lion, afin de ranimer le courage des siens et de défier l’ennemi dans le combat juste des armes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a kṣatriya ideal: disciplined courage expressed through battlefield signals (conch and lion-roar) that strengthen one’s own side and openly declare resolve. Ethically, it frames martial action as a public commitment to face the conflict without concealment, sustaining morale and clarity of purpose.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Dhṛṣṭadyumna, upon seeing the opposing forces, becomes intensely exhilarated. He repeatedly roars, blows his conch in the midst of battle, and utters a lion-like war-cry—standard martial acts that announce readiness and rally troops.