Shloka 56
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
निर्जित्य मातुल॑ संख्ये माद्रीपुत्री महारथौ | दध्यतुर्मुदिती शड्खौ सिंहनादं च नेदतु:,महारथी माद्रीपुत्र युद्धमें अपने मामाको परास्त करके प्रसन्नतापूर्वक शंख बजाने और सिंहनाद करने लगे
nirjitya mātulaṃ saṅkhye mādrīputrau mahārathau | dadhyatuḥ muditau śaṅkhau siṃhanādaṃ ca nedatuḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having defeated their maternal uncle in the press of battle, the two great chariot-warriors—the sons of Mādrī—rejoiced, blew their conches, and raised a lion-like roar. The scene underscores how martial success on the battlefield is publicly signaled through triumphant sounds, intensifying the morale and psychological pressure of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya-world ethic where victory is openly proclaimed through conch-blasts and war-cries, serving both as celebration and as a morale-and-fear tactic; it also reflects the harsh reality that in dharma-yuddha, even close kin (like a maternal uncle) may become opponents when aligned with opposing causes.
Sañjaya reports that the two sons of Mādrī—Nakula and Sahadeva—have overcome their maternal uncle in combat, and, elated by this success, they blow their conches and shout a lion-like roar to announce their triumph on the battlefield.