Shloka 38
अश्रूयन्त हि नामानि श्राव्यमाणानि पार्थिव: । प्रहरद्धिर्महाराज स्वयंवर इवाहवे,महाराज! स्वयंवरकी भाँति उस युद्धसस््थलमें भी प्रहार करनेवाले नरेशोंद्वारा सुनाये जाते हुए नाम श्रवणगोचर हो रहे थे
aśrūyanta hi nāmāni śrāvyamāṇāni pārthivaḥ | praharadbhir mahārāja svayaṃvara ivāhave ||
Sañjaya said: “O great king, the names of kings were indeed being heard—proclaimed aloud by those striking their blows on the battlefield—so that the war-scene resembled a svayaṃvara, where champions announce themselves as they contend.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos where identity, lineage, and honor are publicly asserted even amid violence. By likening battle to a svayaṃvara, it suggests that warfare—though destructive—was also framed as a regulated arena of prowess and reputation, where deeds and names become inseparable.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: as warriors strike and engage, they call out or make known their names, and these names are heard across the field. The scene feels like a svayaṃvara contest, with champions announcing themselves while competing.