Shloka 7
सर्वमाविग्नमभवद्धाहा भूतमचेतनम् । तव सैन्यं महाराज निराशं कर्णजीविते,महाराज! कर्णके जीवनसे निराश होकर आपकी सारी सेना उद्विग्न हो उठी थी। सर्वत्र हाहाकार मचा था। सबके होश उड़ गये थे
sarvam āvignam abhavad hāhā bhūtam acetanaṁ | tava sainyaṁ mahārāja nirāśaṁ karṇajīvite ||
Sañjaya said: “O great king, your entire army became shaken and distressed. A cry of ‘hā hā!’ rose everywhere, and men seemed stunned and senseless—having lost hope in Karṇa’s very survival.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how an army’s strength is not only weapons and numbers but also morale and confidence in its champions. When hope in a key protector (here, Karṇa) collapses, collective fear spreads, leading to confusion and loss of judgment—an ethical warning about over-dependence on a single figure and the fragility of courage in adharma-driven war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces have been thrown into turmoil. Hearing or perceiving danger to Karṇa’s life, they erupt in lament and panic; the host becomes stunned and directionless, indicating a critical downturn in the battle’s psychological balance.