Shloka 54
Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure
Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin
गच्छन्नेवाशृणोच्छब्दं दुर्योधनबले महत् | शड्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषं भेरीपणवनि:स्वनम्
gacchann evāśṛṇoc chabdaṃ duryodhana-bale mahat | śaṅkha-dundubhi-nirghoṣaṃ bherī-paṇava-niḥsvanam ||
Sañjaya disse: Enquanto prosseguia, ouviu um grande alvoroço no exército de Duryodhana—o trovão das conchas e dos tambores kettledrum, o brado retumbante das bhērīs e dos paṇavas—sinal de que a hoste se erguia para a batalha.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective instruments of war—conches and drums—function as moral and psychological catalysts: they rally troops, intensify aggression, and mark the transition from intention to action, reminding readers that violence is often socially amplified before it is enacted.
While moving forward, the described figure hears a loud, swelling din from Duryodhana’s forces—conches and multiple kinds of drums—indicating the Kaurava army’s mobilization and readiness for imminent combat.