Shloka 64
द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake
सेनानिवेशमाजम्मुर्हतशेषास्त्रयो रथा: । तत्र गुल्मा: परित्रस्ता: सूर्य चास्तमिते सति
senāniveśam ājagmur hataśeṣās trayo rathāḥ | tatra gulmāḥ paritrastāḥ sūrye cāstamite sati ||
Sañjaya sprach: Die drei überlebenden Wagen—alles, was nach dem Gemetzel übrig blieb—kehrten zum Heerlager zurück. Dort standen die Truppen in erschütterter Unordnung; und als die Sonne bereits untergegangen war, breiteten sich Furcht und Verwirrung in den Reihen aus—ein Bild vom moralischen Zusammenbruch des Krieges, in dem Sieg nicht nach Rechtschaffenheit, sondern nach dem bemessen wird, was nach der Verwüstung noch übrig ist.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim ethical reality of war: as casualties mount, what remains is not glory but a frightened remnant and a destabilized army. It implicitly contrasts mere survival with dharmic victory, reminding the listener that adharma-driven conflict culminates in fear, fragmentation, and moral exhaustion.
Sañjaya reports that only three chariots remain and they return to the army camp. At the camp, the troop formations are terrified, and the setting of the sun intensifies the sense of vulnerability and disorder after heavy losses.