Shloka 17
कृष्णोपदेशः, अर्जुनस्य क्षमा-याचनम्, कर्णवध-अनुज्ञा
Krishna’s Counsel, Arjuna’s Apology, and Authorization for Karṇa’s Slaying
हाहाकारस्ततस्तीव्र: सम्बभूव जनेश्वर
hāhākāras tatastīvraḥ sambabhūva janeśvara
Sañjaya said: Then a fierce cry of lamentation arose—an overwhelming uproar among the people, O lord of men—signaling the battlefield’s sudden surge of fear, grief, and moral shock at what had just occurred.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediate human cost of war: beyond strategy and heroism, violence produces collective anguish and moral disquiet, expressed as a communal cry of distress.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, after a significant and frightening turn in the battle, an intense uproar of lamentation breaks out among the assembled people/warriors.