Shloka 16
अर्जुनस्य इन्द्रकीलगमनम् तथा शक्रसाक्षात्कारः
Arjuna’s journey to Indrakīla and encounter with Indra
ततः प्रयाते कौन्तेये वनं मानुषवर्जितम् । शड़्खानां पटहानां च शब्द: समभवद् दिवि,तदनन्तर कुन्तीनन्दन अर्जुनके उस निर्जन वनमें पहुँचते ही आकाशमें शंखों और नगाड़ोंका गम्भीर घोष गूँज उठा
tataḥ prayāte kaunteye vanaṁ mānuṣavarjitam | śaṅkhānāṁ paṭahānāṁ ca śabdaḥ samabhavad divi ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: Quando Arjuna, filho de Kuntī, partiu e alcançou aquela floresta deserta de homens, ergueu-se no céu um clamor profundo e ressoante de conchas e tambores—um sinal ao mesmo tempo ominoso e majestoso, como se poderes invisíveis assinalassem a sua chegada e a gravidade do seu empreendimento.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a dharmic undertaking by a disciplined hero is accompanied by signs that elevate the act beyond the merely personal. The celestial sound suggests that righteous effort draws the attention of higher powers and that major vows or quests carry moral and cosmic weight.
As Arjuna reaches an uninhabited forest, a powerful sound of conches and war-drums is heard in the sky. This functions as an omen or announcement, indicating the presence or acknowledgement of divine or unseen beings at the moment of his arrival.