Shloka 366
कर्णमेकं रणे योध॑ मेनिरे तत्र शात्रवा: । उस घोर शब्दसे पाण्डवोंकी विशाल सेना भयभीत हो उठी। शत्रुओंके सभी सैनिक रणभूमिमें एकमात्र कर्णको ही सर्वश्रेष्ठ योद्धा मानने लगे
karṇam ekaṃ raṇe yodham menire tatra śātravāḥ | us ghora śabdase pāṇḍavōṃkī viśāla senā bhayabhīta ho uṭhī | śatrūṃke sabhī sainik raṇabhūmimēṃ ekamātra karṇako hī sarvaśreṣṭha yoddhā mānane lage |
Sañjaya berkata: “Di sana, di tengah-tengah pertempuran, bala musuh menganggap Karṇa seorang sahajalah sebagai pahlawan sejati. Pada raungan yang menggerunkan itu, tentera besar Pāṇḍava digoncang ketakutan; dan semua askar di pihak lawan pun mula memandang Karṇa sebagai satu-satunya juara tertinggi di medan.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the psychological dimension of warfare: a single warrior’s perceived prowess and terrifying battle-cry can dominate collective perception, causing fear in one army and overconfidence in the other. Ethically, it cautions that fame and intimidation can distort discernment, even when dharma requires steadiness and clear judgment.
Sañjaya reports that on the battlefield the opposing troops came to regard Karṇa as the foremost fighter. His dreadful sound/roar unsettles the Pāṇḍava forces, and the enemy soldiers increasingly treat Karṇa as the single decisive champion in that moment of the war.