Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रवादितैश्न वादित्रर्जनकौतूहलेन च । महार्णव इव क्षुब्ध: समाज: सो5भवत्‌ तदा,अनेक प्रकारके बाजोंके बजनेसे तथा मनुष्योंके बढ़ते हुए कौतूहलसे वह जनसमूह उस समय क्षुब्ध महासागरके समान जान पड़ता था

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | pravāditaiś ca vāditrair janakautūhalena ca | mahārṇava iva kṣubdhaḥ samājaḥ so 'bhavat tadā ||

Translation

नाना प्रकार के बाजों के बजने और लोगों के बढ़ते कौतूहल से वह सभा उस समय क्षुब्ध महासागर के समान प्रतीत होने लगी।

Word by Word

प्रवादितैःby the sounded/played (instruments)

चand

वादित्रmusical instrument

जनof people

कौतूहलेनby curiosity/excitement

चand

महार्णवःthe great ocean

इवlike/as

क्षुब्धःagitated, churned

समाजःassembly, crowd

सःthat/he (the crowd)

अभवत्became, was

तदाthen, at that time

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

vāditra (musical instruments)

samāja (assembly/crowd)

mahārṇava (ocean, as simile)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how collective emotion—curiosity and excitement—can swell into a powerful force, like an ocean. Ethically, it cautions that public enthusiasm can amplify events beyond individual control, shaping outcomes in royal and social life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra describes the scene of a large gathering where many instruments are being played. The crowd’s growing curiosity makes the assembly appear turbulent and surging, compared to a vast, agitated sea.