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 suddenly 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 at once. This is mob mentality (sahasā): one person acts, everyone follows, creating 'tumultuous noise' (tumula śabda). But notice what's missing: strategy, coordination. It's reactive, not thoughtful. This teaches about performative confidence versus real confidence. When a group is collectively anxious, they create loud displays to mask inner doubt. The louder the noise, the greater the underlying fear. True confidence is quiet and assured. Noise often covers uncertainty.