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Shloka 50

कालयामास तत्‌ सैन्यं यथा पशुगणान्‌ वृकः । जैसे वनमें कुपित हुआ सिंह मृगसमूहोंको खदेड़ता रहता है, उसी प्रकार शत्रुपक्षके पांचाल महारथियोंको भगाता हुआ महायशस्वी कर्ण समरांगणमें समस्त योद्धाओंको त्रास देने लगा। जैसे भेड़िया पशुसमूहोंको भयभीत करके भगा देता है, उसी प्रकार कर्णने पाण्डवसेनाको खदेड़ दिया ।।

sañjaya uvāca | kālayāmāsa tat sainyaṃ yathā paśugaṇān vṛkaḥ |

三阇耶说道:迦尔那如同豺狼驱赶兽群,使其惊惶奔散一般,追击骚扰那支大军。又如林中暴怒的雄狮不断冲散鹿群,这位声名赫赫的迦尔那击溃敌方般遮罗的诸大车战士,遂在战场上令众武士皆生恐惧,并把般度军逼得溃退奔逃——此乃战争无情势头之写照:勇力压倒秩序,恐惧蔓延快过谋议。

कालयामासharassed / drove into distress
कालयामास:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootकालय् (धातु; causative of काल/कल् in sense 'to drive/harass')
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd, singular, Parasmaipada
तत्that
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, accusative, singular
सैन्यम्army
सैन्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootसैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formneuter, accusative, singular
यथाas / just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
पशु-गणान्herds of animals
पशु-गणान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपशु (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formmasculine, accusative, plural
वृकःwolf
वृकः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवृक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formmasculine, nominative, singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
K
Karna
P
Pandava army (Pāṇḍavī senā)
P
Panchalas (Pāñcāla)
B
battlefield (samara/aṅgaṇa implied by context)
W
wolf (vṛka)
L
lion (siṃha, in the accompanying narrative gloss)
D
deer (mṛga, in the accompanying narrative gloss)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights how, in war, collective morale can collapse when a single powerful warrior relentlessly pursues; it implicitly warns that strength without restraint spreads fear and disorder, showing the ethical cost of violence even when it is framed as heroic prowess.

Sanjaya describes Karna’s onslaught: he chases and routs the opposing forces—especially the Panchala great chariot-warriors—so thoroughly that the Pandava host is driven back in panic, compared to animals scattered by a wolf (and, in the extended simile, deer scattered by a lion).