Shloka 156
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
दुर्योधनो5थ स्वं सूतं हा हा कृत्वैवमब्रवीत् । भीमसेनके भयसे पीड़ित हुए समस्त सैनिकोंको भागते देख दुर्योधनने “हाय-हाय!! करके अपने सारथिसे इस प्रकार कहा--
duryodhano 'tha svaṃ sūtaṃ hā hā kṛtvaivam abravīt | bhīmasenake bhayase pīḍitāḥ samastāḥ sainikāḥ palāyamānān dṛṣṭvā duryodhanena “hā-hā” iti kṛtvā sva-sārathim prati evam uktam |
قال سَنجايا: ثم إن دُريودَهَنَة، وهو يصرخ «وا أسفاه، وا أسفاه!»، خاطب سائقه. ولما رأى جموع الجيش كلّها، وقد زلزلها الخوف من بِهيماسينا وعذّبها، تفرّ من الميدان، تكلّم بألمٍ وحرقة—فكان نحيبه كاشفًا كيف يفتّت الرعبُ عزيمةَ الجند ورباطةَ جأش القائد تحت وطأة الضغط الأخلاقي للحرب.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear can rapidly dissolve collective discipline in war, and how a leader’s reaction—lamenting rather than steadying the ranks—signals moral and psychological strain. It implicitly contrasts steadfastness (dhairya) with panic, a key ethical pressure-point in kṣatriya conduct.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana sees his soldiers fleeing, overwhelmed by fear of Bhīma. In distress he cries “hā hā” and turns to his charioteer, beginning a speech prompted by the army’s collapse in morale.