Shloka 14
आहुरन्योन्यसूक्तानि प्रब्रुवाणा मदोत्कटा: । हे हते हे हतेत्येवं स्वामिभर्तृहतेति च
āhur anyonya-sūktāni prabruvāṇā madotkaṭāḥ | he hate he hate ity evaṁ svāmi-bhartṛ-hate iti ca
Karna said: “Maddened with battle-fury, they shouted taunts back and forth. Again and again they cried, ‘He is slain! He is slain!’ and also, ‘Your lord—your master—has been killed!’ Thus they sought to break one another’s resolve by proclaiming the fall of leaders.”
कर्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how speech becomes a weapon in war: proclaiming the death of a leader is used to shake morale and loyalty. It implicitly warns that words can inflame violence and manipulate duty-bound fighters by targeting their attachment to commanders.
In the thick of battle, warriors on opposing sides exchange loud, aggressive shouts. They repeatedly cry that someone has been slain and specifically taunt the enemy by declaring that their lord/leader has been killed, aiming to confuse and demoralize them.