Shloka 63
ततः प्रयाता: कुरवो जवेन श्रुत्वैव शड्खस्वनमीर्यमाणम् । विहाय मद्राधिपतिं पतिं च दुर्योधनं भारत भारतानाम्
tataḥ prayātāḥ kuravo javena śrutvaiva śaṅkhasvanam īryamāṇam | vihāya madrādhipatiṁ patiṁ ca duryodhanaṁ bhārata bhāratānām ||
Śalya sprach: „Dann, als sie den aufbrandenden Klang der Muschel hörten, flohen die Kuru-Krieger in hastiger Eile. In ihrer Panik ließen sie sogar den Herrn von Madra, Śalya, und ihren eigenen Souverän Duryodhana—den Herrscher der Bhāratas—zurück.“
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical collapse that fear can cause in war: when morale breaks, even proclaimed loyalty to king and commander fails. It implicitly contrasts true kṣatriya-dharma—steadfastness and protection of one’s leader—with panic-driven abandonment.
A conch is sounded on the battlefield; at that signal the Kuru troops lose heart and flee rapidly, leaving behind both Śalya (the Madra king allied with them) and their own ruler Duryodhana.