Shloka 14

आचार्य-क्षमा, देśa–kāla-नīti, तथा भेद-दोषः

Teacher-Reconciliation, Timing-Policy, and the Fault of Factionalism

Devanagari script

उत्तर उवाच श्रुता मे शड्खशब्दाश्न भेरीशब्दाश्न पुष्कला: | कुण्जराणां निनदतां व्यूढानीकेषु तिषताम्‌

Transliteration

uttara uvāca śrutā me śaṅkhaśabdāś ca bherīśabdāś ca puṣkalāḥ | kuñjarāṇāṁ ninadatāṁ vyūḍhānīkeṣu tiṣṭhatām ||

Translation

ಉತ್ತರನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ವೀರಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನೇ! ಸಂಶಯವಿಲ್ಲ, ನಾನು ಅನೇಕ ಬಾರಿ ಶಂಖಧ್ವನಿಯನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದ್ದೇನೆ; ಯುದ್ಧಭೇರಿಗಳ ಭಯಂಕರ ನಾದವೂ ಮರುಮರು ನನ್ನ ಕಿವಿಗೆ ಬಿದ್ದಿದೆ. ವ್ಯೂಹಬದ್ಧ ಸೇನೆಗಳ ಮಧ್ಯೆ ನಿಂತು ಕೇಕೆ ಹಾಕುವ ಮಹಾಗಜಗಳ ನಾದವನ್ನೂ ನಾನು ಕೇಳಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

Word by Word

• {'uttara uvāca': 'Uttara said', 'śrutāḥ (śrutā me)': 'heard (by me)', 'śaṅkha-śabda': 'sound of a conch

• conch-blast', 'bherī-śabda': 'sound of a war-drum

• drumbeat', 'puṣkalāḥ': 'abundant, many, plentiful', 'kuñjara': 'elephant', 'ninadatām': 'of those roaring/trumpeting (genitive plural participle)', 'vyūḍha': 'arrayed, formed up (in battle order)', 'anīka': 'army, battle-array, troop-formation', 'vyūḍhānīkeṣu': 'in/among armies drawn up in formation (locative plural)', 'tiṣṭhatām': 'of those standing/remaining (genitive plural participle)'}

Speaker

उत्तर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Uttara
• conch (śaṅkha)
• war-drum (bherī)
• elephants (kuñjara)
• battle-array/army formation (vyūḍhānīka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the outward signs of warfare—conches, drums, and elephants—and suggests a contrast between familiarity with war’s sounds and the deeper courage and discernment required in actual combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttara speaks to a warrior, asserting that he has often heard the typical sounds of battle—conches, drums, and elephants in formation—implying prior exposure to martial scenes as the conversation moves toward the prospect of fighting.