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Shloka 24

धूम्राक्षवधः

The Slaying of Dhumrākṣa

धनुर्ज्यातन्त्रिमधुरंहिक्कातालसमन्वितम् ।मन्धस्न्तितसङ्गीतंतद्युद्धगान्धर्वमाबभौ ।।6.52.24।।

dhanurjyātantrimadhuraṃ hikkātālasamanvitam | mandahastitasaṅgītaṃ tad yuddhagāndharvam ābabhau ||6.52.24||

战场之声宛如乾闼婆的神圣乐会:弓弦的颤响甘美如琴,马嘶仿佛钹声相和,象鸣则成其深沉的乐音。

धनुः-ज्या-तन्त्रि-मधुरम्sweet with the twang of bowstrings
धनुः-ज्या-तन्त्रि-मधुरम्:
विशेषण (to युद्ध-गान्धर्वम्)
TypeAdjective
Rootdhanus + jyā + tantrī + madhura (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘धनुर्ज्यायाः तन्त्री’ (bowstring-twang) as qualifier; overall ‘sweet due to bowstring twang’
हिक्का-ताल-समन्वितम्accompanied by rhythmic hikkā-sounds
हिक्का-ताल-समन्वितम्:
विशेषण
TypeAdjective
Roothikkā + tāla + samanvita (कृदन्त; सम्+√i/√vṛt? ‘endowed’)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त/PPP ‘endowed with’; ‘हिक्कातालैः समन्वित’
मन्द-हस्तित-सङ्गीतम्music of gentle trumpeting
मन्द-हस्तित-सङ्गीतम्:
विशेषण
TypeAdjective
Rootmanda + hastita + saṅgīta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘मन्दहस्तितेन सङ्गीतम्’ (music of gentle trumpeting/laughter-like sound)
तत्that
तत्:
विशेष्य (Subject referent)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
युद्ध-गान्धर्वम्the war-music (gandharva-like)
युद्ध-गान्धर्वम्:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootyuddha + gāndharva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘युद्धस्य गान्धर्वम्’ (music-like performance of war)
आबभौappeared/seemed
आबभौ:
क्रिया (Kriyā)
TypeVerb
Rootā + √bhā (भा)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

It seemed like music in the form of twang of bow strings, neighing of horses like the sound of wooden cymbals, vocal music in the form of trumpeting of elephants, that battle seemed like symphony.

D
Dhanus (bow)
H
Horses
E
Elephants
G
Gāndharva (celestial music/performance)

FAQs

Even amid violence, the poet’s vision imposes order and meaning; dharma is aligned with harmony and intelligibility, resisting the reduction of war to mere chaos.

Aesthetic narration pauses the action to describe the battlefield’s sounds as if they formed a musical ensemble.

Not a single character trait, but the epic’s reflective wisdom: the capacity to perceive pattern and moral gravity even in upheaval.