Shloka 22
Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance
ततस्तु तावकं सैन्यं वध्यमानं समन्ततः । सुसम्प्राप्तं दश दिश: काल्यमानं महारथै:,उन महारथी वीरोंद्वारा सब ओरसे मारी और खदेड़ी जाती हुई आपकी सेना सब दिशाओंमें भाग खड़ी हुई
tatastu tāvakaṃ sainyaṃ vadhyamānaṃ samantataḥ | susamprāptaṃ daśa diśaḥ kālyamānaṃ mahārathaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then your army, being slain on every side, was thrown into utter confusion; pressed hard by the great chariot-warriors, it scattered and fled toward the ten directions.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of power when it is not anchored in steadiness and right conduct: once fear spreads and discipline collapses, even a large force disintegrates. It implicitly points to the ethical and psychological dimensions of warfare—victory is not only physical strength but also cohesion, leadership, and moral resolve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava army is being cut down from all sides and, under the pressure of elite warriors (mahārathas), breaks formation and flees in all directions.