Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सिंहनादेन महता नेमिघोषेण चैव ह । खुरशब्दनिपातैश्व कम्पयन्तो वसुन्धराम्‌,वे महान्‌ सिंहनाद, रथके पहियोंकी घरघराहट और घोड़ोंकी टाप पड़नेसे होनेवाले महान्‌ शब्दके द्वारा वसुधाको कम्पित कर रहे थे

Transliteration

siṃhanādena mahatā nemighoṣeṇa caiva ha | khuraśabdanipātaiś ca kampayanto vasundharām ||

Translation

சஞ்சயன் கூறினான்—மாபெரும் சிங்கநாதத்தாலும், ரதச் சக்கரங்களின் முழக்கத்தாலும், குதிரைக் குளம்புகளின் இடியொலியாலும் அவர்கள் பூமியையே நடுங்கச் செய்தனர்.

Word by Word

सिंहनादेनby a lion-roar (battle-cry)

महताgreat, mighty

नेमिघोषेणby the sound of the wheel-rims (rumbling of wheels)

चand

एवindeed, just

हindeed (emphatic particle)

खुरशब्दनिपातैःby the impacts/sounds of hooves

चand

कम्पयन्तःshaking, causing to tremble

वसुन्धराम्the earth

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

chariot-wheels (nemi)

horses’ hooves (khura)

earth (vasundharā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse does not state a direct moral injunction; it heightens the ethical gravity of war by portraying its overwhelming force. The trembling earth and deafening din underscore that battle is a world-shaking act, inviting reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the weight of choices that lead to violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the advancing warriors/armies: their lion-like shouts, the roar of chariot wheels, and the pounding of horses’ hooves combine into a massive uproar that seems to shake the earth, intensifying the battlefield atmosphere in Bhīṣma Parva.