Shloka 14
सा पीड्यमाना कर्णेन पञ्चालानां महाचमू: । सम्प्राद्रवत् सुसंत्रस्ता सिंहेनेवार्दिता मृगी,कर्णके द्वारा पीड़ित होनेवाली पांचालोंकी वह विशाल वाहिनी सिंहसे सतायी गयी हरिणीकी भाँति अत्यन्त भयभीत होकर वेगपूर्वक भागने लगी
sā pīḍyamānā karṇena pañcālānāṃ mahācamūḥ | samprādravat susaṃtrastā siṃhenevārditā mṛgī ||
Sañjaya said: Tormented by Karṇa, the great host of the Pāñcālas, seized by extreme panic, broke and fled in haste—like a doe harried by a lion.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata insight: in war, sheer force and terror can shatter collective resolve, and even a ‘great host’ may collapse into flight. Ethically, it points to the tragic instability of martial glory—where fear, not dharma, often governs outcomes on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa is pressing the Pāñcāla forces so severely that their large army becomes panic-stricken and flees rapidly, compared to a doe driven by a lion.