Mahabharata 7.175.19 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 19
ते वध्यमाना: समरे पञ्चाला: सृञ्जयै: सह । तृणप्रस्पन्दनाच्चापि सूतपुत्र सम मेनिरे,समरांगणमें मारे जाते हुए पांचाल और सूंजय एक तिनकेके हिल जानेसे भी सूतपुत्र कर्णको ही आया हुआ मानने लगते थे
te vadhyamānāḥ samare pañcālāḥ sṛñjayaiḥ saha | tṛṇapraspandanāc cāpi sūtaputraṃ samam menire ||
Sañjaya sprach: Als die Pāñcālas zusammen mit den Sṛñjayas in der Schlacht niedergemäht wurden, meinten sie, selbst das Zittern eines Grashalms kündige das Nahen Karṇas an, des Sohnes des Wagenlenkers. So groß war die Furcht, die seine Gegenwart auf dem Feld erweckte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and reputation shape perception in war: when a warrior’s fame for destruction becomes overwhelming, the mind interprets even trivial signs as proof of imminent danger. Ethically, it shows how violence breeds panic and how psychological collapse can precede physical defeat.
During the Drona Parva battles, the Pāñcālas and Sṛñjayas are being heavily attacked. In that desperate state, they assume that even a slight rustle—like grass trembling—signals Karṇa’s arrival, indicating the terror his presence inspires among the opposing troops.
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