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Shloka 19

भीष्मस्य शरवर्षः — Bhīṣma’s Arrow-Storm and Kṛṣṇa’s Impulse to Intervene

भेरीमृदड़शड्खानां दुन्दुभीनां च निःस्वनै: | उत्कृष्टसिंहनादैश्व वल्गितैश्व पृथग्विधै:

bherīmṛdaṅgaśaṅkhānāṃ dundubhīnāṃ ca niḥsvanaiḥ | utkṛṣṭasiṃhanādaiś ca valgitaiś ca pṛthagvidhaiḥ ||

Disse Sañjaya: Em meio ao estrondo de tímpanos, tambores, conchas e tambores de guerra—junto de altos rugidos de leão e de muitos brados de jactância—nós também, em súbita fúria e com pressa impaciente, corremos para atacá-los. Respondemos ao seu bramido com o nosso; e, naquele momento, ergueu-se uma grande batalha entre os soldados de ambos os lados.

भेरीof kettledrums
भेरी:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभेरी
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
मृदङ्गof mṛdaṅga-drums
मृदङ्ग:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमृदङ्ग
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
शङ्खानाम्of conches
शङ्खानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootशङ्ख
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
दुन्दुभीनाम्of war-drums (dundubhis)
दुन्दुभीनाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootदुन्दुभि
FormFeminine, Genitive, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
निःस्वनैःwith sounds/clamors
निःस्वनैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootनिःस्वन
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
उत्कृष्टlofty, excellent
उत्कृष्ट:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootउत्कृष्ट
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
सिंहनादैःwith lion-roars
सिंहनादैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसिंहनाद
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
वल्गितैःwith prancings/boastful displays
वल्गितैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootवल्गित
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
पृथग्विधैःwith various kinds (of)
पृथग्विधैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootपृथग्विध
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
B
bherī (kettledrum)
M
mṛdaṅga (drum)
Ś
śaṅkha (conch)
D
dundubhī (war-drum)
S
siṃhanāda (lion-roar/battle-cry)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how collective noise—signals, roars, and boasts—can inflame anger and accelerate violence. Ethically, it points to the psychology of escalation: pride and retaliatory display (answering roar with roar) quickly turns tension into full-scale battle.

Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: instruments and war-cries thunder on both sides. Provoked and enraged, his side charges suddenly, matching the enemy’s roar with their own, and a major clash begins between the two armies.