Shloka 20

Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

त॑ श्रुत्वा निनदं घोरें त्रैलेक्यत्रासनं महत्‌

Transliteration

taṁ śrutvā ninadaṁ ghoreṁ trailokyatrāsanaṁ mahat

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ତ୍ରିଲୋକକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଭୟଭୀତ କରିପାରୁଥିବା ସେଇ ଘୋର ନିନାଦ ଶୁଣି ଯୋଦ୍ଧାମାନେ କମ୍ପିତ ହେଲେ।

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• निनदम्: roar, loud sound
• निनदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निनद
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• घोरम्: terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• त्रैलेक्यत्रासनम्: terror (that) frightens the three worlds
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलेक्य-त्रासन
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• महत्: great, huge
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• the three worlds (trailokya)
• roar/sound (ninada)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how violence and aggression in war generate fear that spreads beyond individuals, symbolically shaking the entire moral and cosmic order; it cautions that actions in battle have consequences that reverberate widely.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes a terrifying, immense roar arising on the battlefield—so intense it is poetically said to frighten the three worlds—signaling a climactic escalation in the fighting.