Shloka 16
कर्णपर्व — पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः | Karṇa Parva, Chapter 15: Pāṇḍya’s Advance and Aśvatthāmā’s Counterstroke
विस्मापयन् प्रेक्षणीयं द्विषतां भयवर्धनम् । महारथसहस््रस्य सम॑ कर्माकरोज्जय:,इति श्रीमहाभारते कर्णपर्वणि अश्वत्थामार्जुनसंवादे षोडशो5ध्याय:
vismāpayan prekṣaṇīyaṃ dviṣatāṃ bhayavardhanam | mahāratha-sahasrasya samaṃ karmākaroj jayaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “A sight that astonished all who beheld it—and that increased the fear of his enemies—Jaya performed deeds equal to those of a thousand great chariot-warriors.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary prowess and resolve can decisively affect the battlefield’s moral psychology: a single warrior’s visible excellence can inspire awe among allies and intensify fear among opponents, shaping outcomes beyond mere numbers.
Sañjaya, as narrator, describes a warrior (called ‘Jaya’ here) performing astonishing, battle-worthy feats—so formidable that they seemed equal to the combined actions of a thousand elite chariot-fighters—thereby terrifying the enemy side.