Shloka 353
धृतराष्ट्रस्य मूर्च्छा तथा द्रोणविषयकप्रश्नाः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Fainting and Questions Concerning Droṇa
ब्राह्मश्व वेदकामानां ज्याघोषश्न धनुष्मताम् । जो शीघ्रतापूर्वक हाथ चलानेवाले, बलवान, दृढ्धन्वा तथा शत्रुओंका मर्दन करनेवाले थे, कोई भी विजयाभिलाषी वीर जिनके बाणोंका लक्ष्य बन जानेपर जीवित नहीं रह सकता था, जिन्हें जीते-जी दो शब्दोंने कभी नहीं छोड़ा था--एक तो वेदाध्ययनकी इच्छावाले लोगोंके समक्ष वेदध्वनिका शब्द और दूसरा धनुर्धारियोंके बीचमें प्रत्यंचाकी टंकारका शब्द
brāhmaśva vedakāmānāṁ jyāghoṣaś ca dhanuṣmatām |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “For those devoted to Vedic study there was the sound of Vedic recitation, and for the bowmen there was the twang of bowstrings.” The verse evokes two defining ‘sounds’ of a warrior’s world: sacred learning on one side and the relentless discipline of arms on the other—suggesting how, in this war, the ideals of knowledge and the force of battle stand side by side, each demanding unwavering commitment.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes two disciplines—Vedic learning and martial skill—through their characteristic sounds. Ethically, it hints that a complete social order values both sacred knowledge (śruti/adhyayana) and the disciplined duty of warriors, even as war forces these ideals into tense proximity.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses Brāhmaśva while describing the battlefield atmosphere: alongside the presence or memory of Vedic recitation among students of the Veda, the dominant martial sound is the twang of bowstrings among archers, emphasizing the war’s intensity and the warriors’ readiness.