Shloka 203

उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations

Devanagari script

खुरशब्दनिपातैश्न तुमुल: सर्वतो5भवत्‌ । राजेन्द्र! तदनन्तर सारी सेनाओंमें रणभेरीकी भारी आवाज, मृदंगोंकी ध्वनि, हाथियोंके चिग्घाड़ने, घोड़ोंके हिनहिनाने और धरतीपर उनकी टाप पड़नेसे चारों ओर अत्यन्त भयंकर शब्द गूँजने लगा

Transliteration

khuraśabdanipātaiś ca tumulaḥ sarvato 'bhavat | rājendra! tad-anantaraṃ sarī-senāsu raṇabherīṇāṃ bhārī nādaḥ, mṛdaṅgānāṃ dhvaniḥ, hastināṃ cighghāṭanam, aśvānāṃ hinhinānam, pṛthivyāṃ ca teṣāṃ ṭāpa-patanena caturdiśam atyanta-bhayaṅkaraḥ śabdaḥ pratidhvanitum ārabdhaḥ ||

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜେନ୍ଦ୍ର! ସେତେବେଳେ ଘୋଡ଼ାମାନଙ୍କ ଖୁରର ଆଘାତରେ ସବୁଦିଗରେ ଭୟଙ୍କର କୋଳାହଳ ହେଲା। ତାପରେ ସମସ୍ତ ସେନାରେ ରଣଭେରୀର ଗମ୍ଭୀର ନାଦ, ମୃଦଙ୍ଗର ଧ୍ୱନି, ହାତୀମାନଙ୍କ ଚିଗ୍ଘାଡ଼, ଘୋଡ଼ାମାନଙ୍କ ହିନହିନାହଟ ଓ ଭୂମିରେ ଖୁରର ଧପ୍ଧପ୍ ଶବ୍ଦ ମିଶି ସବୁଦିଗରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଗର୍ଜନ ପ୍ରତିଧ୍ୱନିତ ହେଲା।

Word by Word

• खुरशब्दनिपातैः: by the impacts/sounds of hooves
• खुरशब्दनिपातैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: खुरशब्दनिपात
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तुमुलः: tumultuous, very loud
• तुमुलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुमुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वतः: on all sides, everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• अभवत्: became, arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (rājendra)
• armies (senāḥ)
• war-drums (raṇabherī)
• mṛdaṅga drums
• elephants
• horses
• earth/ground (pṛthivī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the moral gravity and collective momentum of war: once armies move, violence becomes a self-amplifying force, signaled by overwhelming sound. It implicitly warns that adharma-driven conflict quickly grows beyond individual control, engulfing all directions and minds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that after the armies surge forward, the battlefield erupts in a terrifying cacophony—war-drums, mṛdaṅgas, elephants’ trumpeting, horses’ neighing, and the pounding of hooves—creating a tumult heard everywhere.