Shloka 19

Devanagari script

ज्याघोषो ब्रह्मघोषश्न तोमरासिरथध्वनि:

Transliteration

jyāghoṣo brahmaghoṣaś ca tomarāsi-ratha-dhvaniḥ

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “There arose the twang of bowstrings and the solemn chanting of sacred formulas, along with the clamor of javelins, swords, and chariots.” The verse evokes the moral tension of war: sacred sound and martial noise mingle, suggesting how dharma and violence stand side by side on the battlefield.

Word by Word

• ज्याघोषः: the twang/sound of the bowstring
• ज्याघोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्या-घोष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मघोषः: the sound of Vedic chants/sacred recitation
• ब्रह्मघोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-घोष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तोमरासिरथध्वनिः: the din of javelins, swords, and chariots
• तोमरासिरथध्वनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोमर-असि-रथ-ध्वनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• bowstring (jyā)
• Vedic chant (brahmaghoṣa)
• javelin (tomara)
• sword (asi)
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the coexistence of sacred order (brahmaghoṣa) and destructive conflict (weapons and chariots). It implicitly raises the ethical question of how ritual sanctity and martial violence can intertwine in a dharma-war setting.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra describes the battlefield soundscape: bowstrings are being drawn and released, sacred chants are being voiced, and the general din of weapons and chariots swells—signaling intense combat preparations or engagement.