Shloka 59
प्रहस्तवधः
The Slaying of Prahasta
नशेकुस्समवस्थातुंनिहतेवाहिनीपतौ ।सेतुबन्धंसमासाद्यविशीर्णंसलिलंयथा ।।।।
na śekuḥ samavasthātuṃ nihate vāhinīpatau | setubandhaṃ samāsādya viśīrṇaṃ salilaṃ yathā ||
Da ihr Oberbefehlshaber gefallen war, konnten sie nicht standhalten, so wie Wasser, das einen gebrochenen Damm erreicht, nicht zurückgehalten werden kann.
The Commander-in-Chief having been killed; the troops could not remain there just as water reached a breached dam.
FAQs
Collective stability depends on responsible leadership; when leadership rooted in adharma fails, the structure of force dissolves quickly.
Prahastha’s death triggers immediate disarray; the simile explains the army’s collapse as inevitable once the ‘barrier’ is broken.
The verse indirectly highlights the strategic value of dhāraṇā (steadiness) and disciplined command in righteous warfare.