Shloka 33
Śaineya–Bhūriśravas: Genealogy, Svayaṃvara Contest, and the Maheśvara Boon
तान् दृष्टवा प्रद्रुतान् संख्ये सात्वतेन शरार्दितान् | प्रभग्नं पुनरेवासीत् तव सैन्यं समाकुलम्,सात्यकिके बाणोंसे पीड़ित हो उन सबको युद्धस्थलसे पलायन करते देख आपकी संगठित हुई सारी सेना पुनः भाग खड़ी हुई
tān dṛṣṭvā pradrutān saṅkhye sātvatenā śarārditān | prabhagnaṃ punar evāsīt tava sainyaṃ samākulam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Als er sie inmitten der Schlacht fliehen sah—verwundet und bedrängt von den Pfeilen des Sātvata (Sātyaki)—zerbrach dein Heer, obgleich es gesammelt und geordnet war, abermals und zerstreute sich in Verwirrung.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that in war, cohesion and courage are as decisive as numbers: when warriors lose steadiness under pressure, even a reorganized force can collapse again. Ethically, it points to the kṣatriya ideal of standing firm rather than yielding to panic.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kaurava fighters, struck by Sātyaki’s arrows, begin to flee; witnessing this flight, the rest of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s army again becomes disordered and routs in confusion.