Shloka 2
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
शड्खदुन्दुभिघौषैश्न सिंहनादैश्व भारत । हयहेषितनादैश्व रथनेमिस्वनैस्तथा,भरतनन्दन! शंख और दुन्दुभियोंकी ध्वनि, वीरोंके सिंहनाद, घोड़ोंकी हिनहिनाहट, रथके पहियोंकी घरघराहट, हाथियोंकी गर्जना तथा गर्जते हुए योद्धाओंके सिंहनाद करने, ताल ठोंकने और जोर-जोरसे बोलने आदिकी तुमुल ध्वनि सब ओर व्याप्त हो गयी
sañjaya uvāca | śaṅkha-dundubhi-ghoṣaiś ca siṃha-nādaiś ca bhārata | haya-heṣita-nādaiś ca ratha-nemi-svanaiḥ tathā ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Bharata, medan perang dipenuhi di segala penjuru oleh gemuruh bunyi—tiupan sangkakala dan dentuman gendang besar, raungan pahlawan laksana singa, ringkikan kuda, serta derum gema roda kereta perang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the epic’s ethical frame for war: before any moral judgment of actions, the narrative first establishes the overwhelming reality of battle—signals, collective resolve, and the charged atmosphere that tests dharma under extreme pressure.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the field has erupted in a great din—conches and war-drums sounding, warriors roaring, horses neighing, and chariot-wheels rumbling—marking the armies’ mobilization and the imminent commencement of combat.