Shloka 14
प्रशंसन्तो<र्जुनं केचित् केचित् कर्ण महारथा: । व्यद्रवन्त दिशो भीता: कुरव: कुरुसत्तम,कुरुश्रेष्ठ! कौरव-महारथियोंमेंसे कुछ लोग अर्जुनकी प्रशंसा करते थे और कुछ कर्णकी। वे सब-के-सब भयभीत होकर चारों दिशाओंमें भाग खड़े हुए
sañjaya uvāca | praśaṃsanto 'rjunaṃ kecit kecit karṇa-mahārathāḥ | vyadravanta diśo bhītāḥ kuravaḥ kuru-sattama kuru-śreṣṭha ||
Sañjaya said: Some among the Kuru warriors praised Arjuna, while others praised Karṇa, the great chariot-fighter. But all the Kurus, seized by fear, fled in every direction—O best of the Kurus, O foremost of the Kuru line. The scene shows that amid the clash of champions, partisan acclaim yields to the moral and psychological truth of war: fear can dissolve cohesion even in a famed host.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the instability of collective resolve in war: even while individuals take sides in praising rival heroes, fear can overwhelm the many. Ethically, it points to how attachment to champions and partisan judgment do not prevent the broader suffering and panic that battle unleashes.
Sañjaya reports to the Kuru king that, amid the confrontation involving Arjuna and Karṇa, some warriors acclaim Arjuna and others acclaim Karṇa; yet the Kuru troops as a whole become frightened and scatter, fleeing toward all directions.