Shloka 20
भेरीमृदड्शशड्खांश्व दध्मुर्वीरा: सहस्रश: । सिंहनादरवांक्षोग्रांक्ष॒क्रिरे तत्र मारिष,आर्य! वे सहस्रों वीर वहाँ भेरी, मृदंग और शंख बजाने तथा भयानक सिंहनाद करने लगे
bherīmṛdaṅgaśaṅkhāṃś ca dadhmur vīrāḥ sahasraśaḥ | siṃhanādaravāṃś cogrān cakrire tatra māriṣa ||
Sañjaya said: There, thousands of warriors blew conches and beat kettledrums and other war-drums, and they raised fierce, terrifying lion-roars—an uproar meant to proclaim strength, rally their own ranks, and strike fear into the opposing host as the battle’s violence gathered momentum.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how sound—drums, conches, and battle-cries—functions as a moral-neutral tool in war: it strengthens one’s own resolve and intimidates the enemy. It implicitly shows the escalation of conflict and the collective psychology that drives armies toward violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, on the battlefield, thousands of warriors begin blowing conches and beating war-drums, while shouting fierce lion-like roars—signaling readiness and intensifying the atmosphere before or during combat.