Shanti Parva Adhyaya 101 Shloka 50 - Mahabharata | Lao | Vedapath

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Shloka 50

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

क्षेयेडा: किलकिलाशब्दा: क्रकचा गोविषाणिका: । भेरीमृदज़पणवान्‌ नादयेयु: पुराश्चरान्‌

Transliteration

kṣeyeḍāḥ kila-kilā-śabdāḥ krakacā go-viṣāṇikāḥ | bherī-mṛdaṅga-paṇavān nādayeyuḥ purāścarān ||

Translation

ພີສະມະໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃຫ້ຜູ້ທີ່ເດີນນຳໜ້າກອງທັບ ຮ້ອງສຽງຮົບດັງໆ ແລະຮ້ອງໂຮຮ້ອງຮຽກດ້ວຍຄວາມຮື້ນເຮີງ, ພ້ອມທັງບັນເລງເຄື່ອງດົນຕີ—krakaca, ແກ້ວງົວ (go-viṣāṇikā) ແລະກອງໃຫຍ່ເຊັ່ນ bherī, mṛdaṅga, paṇava—ເພື່ອໃຫ້ທະຫານເຄື່ອນໄປຂ້າງໜ້າຢ່າງມີລະບຽບ ແລະເພື່ອສັ່ນຄວາມກ້າຫານຂອງສັດຕູ»។

Word by Word

क्षेयेडाःtrumpets/clarions (a kind of war-instrument)

किलकिलाशब्दाःkilikila-cries/sounds (shouts of glee/war-whoops)

क्रकचाःkrakaca-instruments (a kind of musical/war instrument)

गोविषाणिकाःcow-horns (horn-trumpets)

भेरीkettle-drum

मृदङ्गmṛdaṅga drum

पणवान्paṇava-drums (small drums)

नादयेयुःshould sound/play (make resound)

पुरःचरान्those who go in front (vanguard/fore-runners)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

army vanguard (purāścarāḥ)

krakaca (instrument)

go-viṣāṇikā (horn)

bherī (drum)

mṛdaṅga (drum)

paṇava (drum)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, effective leadership emphasizes order, coordination, and morale. Bhīṣma highlights organized signals—cries and instruments—to unify the army’s movement and strengthen resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma gives practical counsel about how the troops at the front should advance: raising loud cries and sounding horns and drums so the army moves forward with confidence and a clear martial rhythm.