Shloka 39
Bhīmasena–Drauṇi Mahāyuddha
Chariot Duel and Astra-Exchange
न द्रोणव्यसनं ककश्िज्जानीते तत्र भारत । दृष्टवा कर्ण महेष्वासं मुखे व्यूहस्य देशितम्
na droṇavyasanaṁ kaścid jānīte tatra bhārata | dṛṣṭvā karṇa-maheṣvāsaṁ mukhe vyūhasya deśitam ||
Sañjaya said: O Bhārata, no one there truly grasped the calamity that had befallen Droṇa. For they saw the great archer Karṇa posted at the very front of the battle-formation—an arrangement that projected strength and confidence, masking the depth of the loss.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward displays of strength and decisive leadership can shape collective perception in crisis: by placing a formidable warrior at the front, an army’s morale may be preserved even when it has suffered a grave internal loss.
After the catastrophe involving Droṇa, Sañjaya reports that the warriors did not fully register the extent of that disaster because Karṇa, a renowned archer, was visibly stationed at the forefront of the battle formation, giving the host a sense of continued power and direction.