Shloka 54
गच्छन्नेवाशृणोच्छब्दं दुर्योधनबले महत् | शड्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषं भेरीपणवनि:स्वनम्
gacchann evāśṛṇoc chabdaṃ duryodhana-bale mahat | śaṅkha-dundubhi-nirghoṣaṃ bherī-paṇava-niḥsvanam ||
Sañjaya said: As he went on, he heard a great uproar from Duryodhana’s army—the thunder of conches and kettledrums, the blaring resonance of war-drums and tabors—signaling a force rousing itself for battle and the hardening of resolve that precedes violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective instruments of war—conches and drums—function as moral and psychological catalysts: they rally troops, intensify aggression, and mark the transition from intention to action, reminding readers that violence is often socially amplified before it is enacted.
While moving forward, the described figure hears a loud, swelling din from Duryodhana’s forces—conches and multiple kinds of drums—indicating the Kaurava army’s mobilization and readiness for imminent combat.