Shloka 20
भेरीशब्देन महता मृदड्भानां स्वनेन च । गजानां बंहितैश्वापि तुरड्राणां च ह्रेषितै:
bherīśabdena mahatā mṛdaṅgānāṁ svanena ca | gajānāṁ bṛṁhitaiś cāpi turaṅgāṇāṁ ca hreṣitaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “With the mighty blare of war-drums, with the rolling resonance of kettledrums, with the trumpeting of elephants, and with the neighing of horses, the battlefield resounded.” In this war-scene, the soundscape signals the deliberate escalation of conflict—an outward display of power that heightens fear and resolve, reminding the listener how collective frenzy can overtake discernment and dharma in the press of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how external displays—drums, animal cries, and martial noise—can intensify collective emotion in war. Ethically, it points to the danger that spectacle and momentum may drown out reflection on dharma, making restraint and right judgment harder to maintain.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: loud drums are sounded, elephants trumpet, and horses neigh. The combined uproar marks the mobilization and heightened intensity of the fighting in the Drona Parva context.