Shloka 52
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
नदत: सीदतकश्चान्यान् विमुखान् समरे गतान् । विद्रुतान् भयसंविग्नांस्तथा विशकृतो5परान्
nadatāḥ sīdatakaś cānyān vimukhān samare gatān | vidrutān bhayasaṃvignāṃs tathā viśakṛto 'parān ||
قال سنجيا: «رأيتُ بعينيّ بعض الفيلة تصيح، وأخرى تسقط من الإعياء؛ ورأيتُ من ولّى وجهه فتراجع عن القتال؛ ومن فرّ مذعورًا؛ ومن اشتدّ عليه الرعب حتى أخرج الغائط والبول. هكذا انكشف أمامي المشهد المروّع للحرب.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the brutal psychological and physical collapse produced by war—fear, panic, and loss of dignity—serving as an implicit ethical reminder that violence dehumanizes and overwhelms even the mighty.
Sañjaya reports what he personally witnessed on the battlefield: elephants (and combatants by implication) trumpeting, faltering, turning back, fleeing in terror, and even losing bodily control due to fear.