Duryodhana while witnessing the strength of the Pāṇḍavas army supported by the might of Bhīmā weighed his own armies strength under the command of Bhīshma

and perceiving the mood of his preceptor Droṇāchārya, he could understand the inadequacy in his own troops and the perfection of strength on the Pāṇḍavas side to be victorious and internally this aggrieved him heavily.

Bhīshma seeing all this gave a roar like a lion and blew a mighty, reverberating blast on his conch-shell which was followed by a tumultuous beating of drums, blaring of horns and blasting of conch-shells as if indicative of the victory in order to cheer up Duryodhana.

Immediately upon hearing this Lord Krishna and Arjuna seated in their majestic chariot capable of conquering all the worlds; both seized their conch-shells and reverberated a sound that shook all the worlds.

Thereafter Bhīmā, Yudhisṭhīra, Nākula and Sahadeva and the rest of the mahā-rathas of the Pāṇḍava army blew their conch-shells

and the roar which was heard cleaved the hearts of Duryodhana and the army of the Kaurāvas and in their hearts they felt that the battle was already lost.

Thus did Sanjaya narrate to Dhritarāshtra whose only concern was for the success of his son Duryodhana and the Kaurāvas in the battle.

13 "Then, of a sudden, were sounded forth conches and kettle-drums, tabors, tambourines, and cornets; uproarious was the din it made." (131)

As the different organs played there arose a dreadful noise and even the bold feared that the world was approaching its end. What of the timid then? Those of doubtful courage got blown up like chaff—nay, even the Destroyer got so much frightened that he would not come forward. As the flag, kettle-drums and other martial musical instruments such as conches, cymbals and trumpets etc. sounded forth, the heroes also raised dreadful war cries. Some began to pat loudly their arms. Some began raising cries with all their might. The feeling of fear raised by all these made (even) the elephants in rut uncontrollable and some died standing, and the courageous got their jaws locked. Even the brave in the battle began to tremble with fear. Hearing this tremendous war alarm Brahmadev also got nervous while the other Gods got afraid that the end of the universe had approached.

'Tataḥ śaṅkhāśca bheryaśca paṇavānakagomukhāḥ'—Bhīṣma had not blown his conch to declare war, his purpose was to cheer up Duryodhana, but the army of the Kauravas thought that the war was declared. So hearing the sound of the conch, all musical instruments such as conchs etc., of the Kaurava-army suddenly blared forth.

Conchs are found in the sea. These are blown in adoration of God, on auspicious occasions and for declaring a war. 'Kettledrums' (bherī), are drums with large hollow bowls of iron, with tops made of skins of buffaloes and are beaten with a wooden stick. They are kept in temples and forts, and are beaten, specially on functions and auspicious occasions. 'Tabors' (paṇava), are small drums like a tambourine. These are made of iron or wood, with tops covered by the skin of goats, and are beaten with hand or a wooden stick. Their beating is regarded as auspicious, as adoration to Lord Gaṇeśa. 'Ānaka' (drum), is a musical instrument made of clay, with the top covered by leather and beaten with a hand. 'Gomukha' (cow-horn), is a musical wind instrument, consisting of a long metal tube usually bent like a serpent, having a cow shaped mouth and is blown with the mouth.

'Sahasaivābhyahanyanta'*—Kaurava-army was full of great

* Here instead of saying that the army of the Kauravas blared forth their musical instruments, it has been said that the instruments blared forth. This construction of the sentence shows enthusiasm and ease of the army.

enthusiasm. Therefore, as soon as Bhīṣma blew his conch, all their musical instruments suddenly blared forth, all at once without much effort.

'Sa śabdastumulo'bhavat'—The sound of the musical instruments, such as conchs etc., of the Kaurava-army, standing in divisions and sub-divisions, was tumultuous, and was echoed all over.

Link:—In the beginning of this chapter, Dhṛtarāṣṭra asked Sañjaya, "What did my sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu do, while assembled on the battlefield?" Therefore, Sañjaya explained from the second to the thirteenth verses, what Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons did. In the next verse, Sañjaya says what Pāṇḍu's sons did.

उदंड सैंघ वाजतें । भयानकें खाखाते । महाप्रळयो जेथें । धाकडांसी ॥ १३१ ॥

भेरी निशाण मांदळ । शंख काहळा भोंगळ । आणि भयासुर रणकोल्हाळ । सुभटांचे ॥ १३२॥

आवेशें भुजा त्राहाटिती । विसणैले हांका देती । जेथ महामद भद्रजाती । आवरती ना ॥ १३३॥

तेथ भेडांची कवण मातु । कांचया केर फिटतु । जेणें दचकला कृतांतु । आंग नेघे ॥ १३४॥

एकां उभयतांचे प्राण गेले । चांगांचे दांत बैसले । बिरुदांचे दादुले । हिंवताती ॥ १३५॥

ऐसा अद्भुत तूरबंबाळु । ऐकोनि ब्रह्मा व्याकुळु । देव म्हणती प्रळयकाळु । ओढवला आजि ॥ १३६॥

ऐसी स्वर्गीं मातु । देखोनि तो आकांतु । तंव पांडवदळा आंतु । वर्तलें कायी ॥ १३७॥

हो कां निजसार विजयाचे । कीं ते भांडार महातेजाचे । जेथ गरुडाचिचे जावळिये । कांतले चार्‍ही ॥ १३८॥

(1.131) कई बाजे बजाये गये, जो भयानक और कर्कश थे और जिन्हें सुनकर बलवानों को भी प्रलयकाल सा जान पड़ता था।

(1.132) नौबतें, निशान, शंख, झाँझें और रणसींगे बजने लगे और बड़े-बड़े योद्धाओं के भयानक रणशब्दों का कोलाहल होने लगा।

(1.133) वे आवेश से ताल ठोकने लगे तथा जोर-जोर से एक दूसरे को लड़ाई के लिए ललकारने लगे। जहाँ हाथी ऐसे बेकाबू हो गये कि रोके नहीं जा सकते थे।

(1.134) वहाँ डरपोकों की क्या कथा? जो कच्चे थे वे तो कचरे के समान उड़ते थे। यह दृश्य देखकर कृतान्त भी डर से सूख गया।

(1.135) कई एकों के प्राण खड़े-खड़े निकल गये, अच्छे अच्छों के दाँत भिच गये, और बड़े-बड़े विरुद्धवाले काँपने लगे। (1.136) ऐसी अद्भुत वाद्यध्वनि सुनकर ब्रह्मा भी व्याकुल हो गये और देव कहने लगे कि आज हमारा प्रलयकाल आ पहुँचा।

'ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकगोमुखाः'—यद्यपि भीष्मजीने युद्धारम्भकी घोषणा करनेके लिये शंख नहीं बजाया था, प्रत्युत दुर्योधनको प्रसन्न करनेके लिये ही शंख बजाया था, तथापि कौरव-सेनाने भीष्मजीके शंखवादनको युद्धकी घोषणा ही समझा। अतः भीष्मजीके शंख बजाने पर कौरव-सेनाके शंख आदि सब बाजे एक साथ बज उठे।

'शंख' समुद्रसे उत्पन्न होते हैं। ये ठाकुरजीकी सेवा-पूजामें रखे जाते हैं और आरती उतारने आदिके काममें आते हैं। मांगलिक कार्योंमें तथा युद्धके आरम्भमें ये मुखसे फूँक देकर बजाये जाते हैं। 'भेरी' नाम नगाड़ोंका है (जो बड़े नगाड़े होते हैं, उनको नौबत कहते हैं)। ये नगाड़े लोहेके बने हुए और भैंसेके चमड़ेसे मढ़े हुए होते हैं, तथा लकड़ीके डंडेसे बजाये जाते हैं। ये मन्दिरोंमें एवं राजाओंके किलोंमें रखे जाते हैं। उत्सव और मांगलिक कार्योंमें ये विशेषतासे बजाये जाते हैं। राजाओंके यहाँ ये रोज बजाये जाते हैं। 'पणव' नाम ढोलका है। ये लोहेके अथवा लकड़ीके बने हुए और बकरेके चमड़ेसे मढ़े हुए

होते हैं तथा हाथसे या लकड़ीके डंडेसे बजाये जाते हैं। ये आकारमें ढोलकीकी तरह होनेपर भी ढोलकीसे बड़े होते हैं। कार्यके आरम्भमें पणवोंको बजाना गणेशजीके पूजनके समान मांगलिक माना जाता है। 'आनक' नाम मृदंगका है। इनको पखावज भी कहते हैं। आकारमें ये लकड़ीकी बनायी हुई ढोलकीके समान होते हैं। ये मिट्टीके बने हुए और चमड़ेसे मढ़े हुए होते हैं तथा हाथसे बजाये जाते हैं। 'गोमुख' नाम नरसिंघेका है। ये आकारमें साँपकी तरह टेढ़े होते हैं और इनका मुख गायकी तरह होता है। ये मुखकी फूँकसे बजाये जाते हैं।

'सहसैवाभ्यहन्यन्त'*—कौरव-सेनामें उत्साह बहुत था। इसलिये पितामह भीष्मका शंख बजते ही कौरव-सेनाके सब बाजे अनायास ही एक साथ बज उठे। उनके बजनेमें देरी नहीं हुई तथा उनको बजानेमें परिश्रम भी नहीं हुआ।

'स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत्'—अलग-अलग विभागोंमें, टुकड़ियोंमें खड़ी हुई कौरव-सेनाके शंख आदि बाजोंका शब्द बड़ा भयंकर हुआ अर्थात् उनकी आवाज बड़ी जोरसे गूँजती रही।

सम्बन्ध—इस अध्यायके आरम्भमें ही धृतराष्ट्रने संजयसे पूछा था कि युद्धक्षेत्रमें मेरे और पाण्डुके पुत्रोंने क्या किया? अतः संजयने दूसरे श्लोकसे तेरहवें श्लोकतक 'धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंने क्या किया'—इसका उत्तर दिया। अब आगेके श्लोकसे संजय 'पाण्डुके पुत्रोंने क्या किया'—इसका उत्तर देते हैं।