Shloka 573
अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
पज्चालानां रथव्रातान् कर्णो व्यद्रावयत् तथा । जैसे भयभीत हुए मृगसमूहोंको सिंह सब ओर खदेड़ता है, उसी प्रकार कर्ण पांचालोंके रथसमूहोंको भगा रहा था
Pañcālānāṁ rathavrātān karṇo vyadrāvayat tathā.
Sañjaya said: Karṇa drove the massed chariot-formations of the Pāñcālas into flight—just as a lion, striking terror, scatters herds of deer in every direction. The verse underscores the brutal momentum of battle, where prowess and fear reshape the field more than deliberation or restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, sheer martial force can generate panic and collapse formations; it implicitly contrasts battlefield success driven by might and fear with the ethical ideal of measured, dharmic conduct—showing how quickly order can dissolve when terror spreads.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa is overpowering the Pāñcāla forces, specifically their clustered chariot-units, and is routing them. The simile of a lion scattering deer emphasizes the speed and inevitability of their flight under Karṇa’s assault.