Shloka 17

कर्णस्य एकाकि-प्रहारः तथा पाण्डव-महारथ-परिवेष्टनम् | Karṇa’s concentrated assault and the Pāṇḍava encirclement

Devanagari script

ततोडन्‍्तरिक्षादपि साधुवादै- वदित्रघोषै: समुदीर्यमाण: । ज्याघोषनेमिस्वननादचित्र: समाकुल: सो5भवत्‌ सम्प्रहार:,तत्पश्चात्‌ आकाशसे भी साधुवाद एवं वाद्योंकी ध्वनि आने लगी, जिससे प्रत्यंचाकी टंकारों और रथोंके पहियोंके घर्घर शब्दोंसे युक्त वह संग्राम अधिक कोलाहलपूर्ण हो उठा था

Transliteration

tato 'ntarikṣād api sādhuvādair vaditraghoṣaiḥ samudīryamāṇaḥ | jyāghoṣanemisvananādacitraḥ samākulaḥ so 'bhavat samprāhāraḥ ||

Translation

Pagkaraan, maging mula sa langit ay umalingawngaw ang mga sigaw ng pagpupuri at ang dagundong ng mga tugtugin. Nahalo sa langitngit ng bagting ng pana at sa ugong ng mga gulong ng karwahe, lalo pang naging magulo at maingay ang sagupaan.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

अन्तरिक्षात्from the sky/space

अपिalso, even

साधुवादैःwith cries of approval

वादित्रघोषैःwith the sound of instruments

समुदीर्यमाणःbeing raised/resounding

ज्याघोषनेमिस्वननादचित्रःvariegated with the twang of bowstrings and the rumbling sound of wheel-rims

समाकुलःconfused, tumultuous

सःthat (it/he)

अभवत्became

सम्प्रहारःthe clash/battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

antarikṣa (sky/mid-air)

sādhuvāda (acclamations)

vaditra (war-instruments/drums)

jyā (bowstring)

ratha-nemi (chariot wheels)

samprāhāra (melee/combat)

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 highlights how war amplifies itself through collective excitement—acclamations and martial music can glorify violence and intensify confusion. Ethically, it hints at the seductive momentum of battle: noise and praise can drown discernment and deepen the chaos of adharma-prone conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield as the fighting closes into a melee. From the sky come cries of approval and the roar of instruments, blending with bowstring twangs and chariot-wheel rumbling, making the combat scene even more tumultuous.