Shloka 39

ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam

Description of War Standards

Devanagari script

पाञ्चजन्यस्य निर्घोषमार्षभेणैव पूरितम्‌

Transliteration

pāñcajanyasya nirghoṣam ārṣabheṇaiva pūritam

Translation

Sañjaya said: “The thunderous blast of the conch Pāñcajanya filled the air, as though it were the very bellowing of a mighty bull.” In the war’s moral atmosphere, the sound functions as a public signal of resolve and intimidation—an audible proclamation that the combatants have crossed from counsel into irrevocable action.

Word by Word

• पाञ्चजन्यस्य: of Pāñcajanya (Krishna’s conch)
• पाञ्चजन्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चजन्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निर्घोषम्: sound, roar
• निर्घोषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्घोष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आर्षभेण: by (the) bull-like/strong (sound)
• आर्षभेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्षभ
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पूरितम्: filled, made full
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूरित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त), पूर् (पूरणे)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāñcajanya (conch)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how symbolic acts—like the sounding of a conch—carry ethical and psychological weight in epic warfare: they declare intent, strengthen allies’ courage, and unsettle opponents, marking the transition from deliberation to decisive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: the conch Pāñcajanya is blown, and its reverberation spreads everywhere, compared to the powerful bellow of a bull, signaling heightened momentum in the conflict.