Shloka 196
Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
पाञ्चजन्यरवो घोर: पुनरासीद् विशाम्पते । प्रजानाथ! जब भीमसेन युद्धकी इच्छासे आपकी सेनाकी ओर प्रस्थित हुए, उस समय पुन: पांचजन्य शंखकी भयंकर ध्वनि प्रकट हुई
pāñcajanyaravo ghoraḥ punar āsīd viśāmpate | prajānātha! yadā bhīmasenaḥ yuddhecchayā tava senām abhitaḥ prasthitaḥ, tadā punaḥ pāñcajanyaśaṅkhasya bhīṣaṇā dhvaniḥ prādurabhavat |
Sañjaya dit : «Ô seigneur du peuple, ô souverain des hommes ! Une fois encore s’éleva le rugissement terrible de la conque Pāñcajanya. Car lorsque Bhīmasena, poussé par la volonté de combattre, s’avança vers ton armée, ce souffle redoutable de Pāñcajanya se manifesta de nouveau—signe d’une résolution ravivée et du poids moral du combat pesant sur l’ost des Kaurava.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how symbols in war—like the sounding of Kṛṣṇa’s conch—serve as moral and psychological forces: they rally the righteous side, unsettle opponents, and signal unwavering resolve in the performance of kṣatriya-duty amid a dharma-charged conflict.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that as Bhīma moves forward with the intent to fight against the Kaurava host, the terrifying sound of the conch Pāñcajanya is heard again, marking a renewed surge of battle momentum.