Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1, Verse 13

ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकगोमुखाः | सहसैवाभ्यहन्यन्त स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत् ||

tataḥ śaṅkhāś ca bheryaś ca paṇavānaka-gomukhāḥ sahasaivābhyahanyanta sa śabdas tumulo 'bhavat

Then, all of a sudden, conch shells, drums, kettledrums, trumpets, and horns blared forth, and the sound became tumultuous.

After Bhishma's conch, the entire Kaurava army suddenly erupts — conches, drums, horns, all going off at once. This is mob mentality (sahasā) — one person acts, everyone follows, creating 'tumultuous noise' (tumula śabda). But notice what is missing here — strategy, coordination. It is reactive, not thoughtful. This teaches us about performative confidence versus real confidence. When a group is collectively anxious, they create loud displays to mask their inner doubt. The louder the noise, the greater the underlying fear. True confidence is quiet and assured. Noise often covers uncertainty.