Shloka 14
भीष्मसेनासंनिवेशः — Bhīṣma’s Mobilization, Omens, and the Kaurava Array
अपेतकर्णा: पुत्रास्ते राजानश्वैव तावका: । निर्ययु: सिंहनादेन नादयन्तो दिशो दश,इसलिये आपके पुत्र और अन्य नरेश बिना कर्णके ही अपने सिंहनादसे दसों दिशाओंको प्रतिध्वनित करते हुए युद्धके लिये निकले
apetakārṇāḥ putrās te rājānaś caiva tāvakāḥ | niryayuḥ siṃhanādena nādayanto diśo daśa ||
Sañjaya said: Though bereft of Karṇa, your sons and the other kings on your side still marched out to battle, roaring like lions and making the ten directions resound.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychology of war: collective bravado and the noise of power can mask vulnerability—here, the Kaurava host advances loudly even without Karṇa, suggesting pride and momentum rather than reflective restraint.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces—his sons and allied kings—set out for battle, raising lion-like cries that echo through all directions, despite Karṇa being absent from their ranks at that moment.