Shloka 47
पश्य कर्णेन हैडिम्बे पाण्डवानामनीकिनी । काल्यमाना यथा गाव: पालेन रणमूर्थनि,हिडिम्बानन्दन! देखो, जैसे चरवाहा गायोंको हाँकता है, उसी प्रकार युद्धके मुहानेपर खड़ा हुआ कर्ण पाण्डवोंकी इस विशाल सेनाको खदेड़ रहा है
paśya karṇena haiḍimbe pāṇḍavānām anīkinī | kālyamānā yathā gāvaḥ pālena raṇamūrdhani || hiḍimbānandana |
Vāyu said: “Look, O Haiḍimbī—see how Karṇa is driving back the Pāṇḍavas’ great host. Just as a cowherd urges cattle onward, so does Karṇa, standing at the very forefront of battle, herd and press that army away.”
श्रीवायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, concentrated strength and resolve can dominate sheer numbers, turning an army into something driven by fear rather than choice. Ethically, it invites reflection on the dehumanizing momentum of battle—where people are pushed like cattle—and the responsibility of leaders and warriors for the consequences of such force.
Vāyu addresses Haiḍimbī and calls attention to Karṇa’s performance: positioned at the battle’s forefront, he is forcing the Pāṇḍava forces to retreat or scatter, compared to a cowherd driving cattle. The remark is also directed toward Hiḍimbā’s son (Ghaṭotkaca), situating the scene amid the intense clashes of Droṇa Parva.