Shloka 343
प्राद्रवन्त रणे भीता: कर्ण दृष्टवा महारथम् | कर्णके द्वारा मारे जाते हुए पाण्डवसैनिक रणभूमिमें उस महारथी वीरको देखते ही भयभीत हो जहाँ-तहाँसे भागने लगे
prādravan raṇe bhītāḥ karṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā mahāratham |
Sañjaya berkata: “Melihat Karṇa—pahlawan kereta perang agung—di medan laga, para askar Pāṇḍava yang sedang ditewaskan olehnya menjadi gentar lalu lari bertempiaran ke segala arah dari gelanggang pertempuran.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological pressure of war: when a formidable warrior dominates the field, even trained soldiers may abandon formation out of fear. It implicitly contrasts kṣatriya ideals of steadiness with the human reality of panic under overwhelming force.
Sañjaya reports that Karṇa is cutting down the Pāṇḍava troops; upon seeing him as a great mahāratha, the soldiers become frightened and scatter, fleeing the battlefield in different directions.