Shloka 326
धनुर्घोषेण वित्रस्ता: स्वे परे च तदाभवन् | घटोत्कच तीखे बाणोंका संधान करके उन्हें इस प्रकार छोड़ता कि वे एक-दूसरेसे सटे हुए निकलते थे। उसके धनुषकी टंकारसे अपने और शत्रुपक्षके योद्धा भी भयसे थर्रा उठते थे
dhanurghoṣeṇa vitrastāḥ sve pare ca tadābhavan | ghaṭotkacaḥ tīkṣṇabāṇān saṃdhāya tān itthaṃ mumoca yathā te parasparaṃ saṃsaktā niṣpetuḥ ||
धनुर्घोषेण वित्रस्ताः स्वे परे च तदाभवन्। घटोत्कचः तीक्ष्णबाणान् संधाय तथा मुमोच यथा ते परस्परं संसक्ताः इव निर्जग्मुः; तस्य धनुष्टङ्कारश्रवणेन स्वपक्षपरपक्षयोः सर्वे योद्धा भयात् कम्पिताः।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how displays of power in war affect not only the enemy but also one’s own side—fear spreads through sound, spectacle, and uncertainty. Ethically, it underscores the corrosive nature of escalating violence: even allies become unsettled when warfare turns into overwhelming, indiscriminate terror.
Sañjaya describes Ghaṭotkaca’s archery: he prepares sharp arrows and releases them in tightly clustered volleys. The loud twang of his bow terrifies warriors on both sides, showing his formidable presence and the panic his assault generates.