Shloka 39

ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam

Description of War Standards

Devanagari script

पाञ्चजन्यस्य निर्घोषमार्षभेणैव पूरितम्‌

Transliteration

pāñcajanyasya nirghoṣam ārṣabheṇaiva pūritam

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਬੋਲੇ—ਪਾਂਚਜਨ੍ਯ ਸ਼ੰਖ ਦਾ ਘੋਰ ਨਾਦ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਮਹਾਬਲੀ ਬਲਦ ਦੀ ਗੱਜਣਾ ਹੋਵੇ, ਆਕਾਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਭਰ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• पाञ्चजन्यस्य: of Pāñcajanya (Krishna’s conch)
• पाञ्चजन्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चजन्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निर्घोषम्: sound, roar
• निर्घोषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्घोष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आर्षभेण: by (the) bull-like/strong (sound)
• आर्षभेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्षभ
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पूरितम्: filled, made full
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूरित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त), पूर् (पूरणे)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāñcajanya (conch)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how symbolic acts—like the sounding of a conch—carry ethical and psychological weight in epic warfare: they declare intent, strengthen allies’ courage, and unsettle opponents, marking the transition from deliberation to decisive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: the conch Pāñcajanya is blown, and its reverberation spreads everywhere, compared to the powerful bellow of a bull, signaling heightened momentum in the conflict.