Shloka 13
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 20 — Yudhiṣṭhira–Duryodhana Encounter and Escalation of Arms
बाणज्यातलशब्देन द्यां दिश: प्रदिशो वियत् । पृथिवीं नेमिघोषेण नादयन्तो<5भ्ययु: परान्,रथी वीर अपने बाणसहित धनुषकी प्रत्यंचाकी टंकारध्वनि एवं रथके पहियोंकी घर्घराहटसे आकाश, अन्तरिक्ष, दिशा, विदिशा तथा भूतलको शब्दायमान करते हुए शत्रुओंपर चढ़ आये
bāṇajyātalaśabdena dyāṃ diśaḥ pradiśo viyat | pṛthivīṃ nemighoṣeṇa nādayanto 'bhyayuḥ parān ||
Sañjaya said: With the sharp twang of their bowstrings and the clatter of their chariot-wheels, the warriors made the sky, the quarters and intermediate directions, the mid-air, and the very earth resound; thus, raising a thunderous din, they surged forward against the enemy. The verse underscores the overwhelming momentum of battle—where martial prowess and collective force press upon opponents, testing resolve and duty amid the chaos of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective martial action creates an overwhelming force that tests courage and duty; in the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such battlefield momentum intensifies the kṣatriya’s obligation to stand firm, even amid fear and confusion.
Sañjaya describes warriors advancing on their foes; the twang of bowstrings and the rumble of chariot wheels are so loud that they seem to make sky, directions, and earth reverberate, signaling a fierce charge into battle.