Shloka 19
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
नाथवन्तं तदा55त्मानममन्यन्त सुतास्तव । भारत! उसी आशाको हृदयमें रखकर आपके पुत्रोंको कुछ आश्वासन मिला और वे समरांगणमें महारथी मद्रराज शल्यका आश्रय ले अपने-आपको सनाथ मानने लगे ।। यदा कर्ण हते पार्था: सिंहनादं प्रचक्रिरे
sañjaya uvāca |
nāthavantaṃ tadātmānam amanyanta sutās tava |
bhārata! yāṃ tadāśāṃ hṛdaye nidhāya te putrāḥ kiñcid āśvāsam avāpuḥ |
samarāṅgaṇe mahārathaṃ madrarājaṃ śalyaṃ śaraṇaṃ gatvā svayam ātmānaṃ sanātham amanyanta ||
yadā karṇa-hate pārthāḥ siṃhanādaṃ pracakrire ||
Sañjaya said: Then your sons began to think of themselves as protected. O Bhārata, holding that hope in their hearts, they gained a measure of reassurance; and on the battlefield, taking refuge in Śalya, the king of Madra and a great chariot-warrior, they regarded themselves as having a guardian. But when Karṇa was slain, the sons of Pāṇḍu raised a lion-like roar—signaling the moral and strategic turning of the war as confidence shifted to the side aligned with righteous resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how reliance on a powerful protector can restore confidence even amid moral decline, yet such confidence is fragile when grounded in shifting fortunes rather than dharma. The Pāṇḍavas’ lion-roar after Karṇa’s fall marks the ethical and strategic momentum moving toward the side perceived as aligned with rightful purpose.
After Karṇa’s death, the Kauravas seek reassurance by taking Śalya, the Madra king and a great warrior, as their support and commander, considering themselves protected. Simultaneously, the Pāṇḍavas proclaim victory with a lion-like roar, indicating a decisive swing in battlefield morale.