Shloka 10
Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens
यं दृष्टवा कुरव: सर्वे दुर्योधनपुरोगमा: । निवर्तिष्यन्ति संत्रस्ता: सिंहं क्षुद्रमगा यथा
yaṁ dṛṣṭvā kuravaḥ sarve duryodhana-purogamāḥ | nivartiṣyanti saṁtrastāḥ siṁhaṁ kṣudra-mṛgā yathā ||
Sañjaya said: “On seeing him, all the Kurus—led by Duryodhana—will turn back in terror, just as petty beasts flee the sight of a lion.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how arrogance and collective bravado can dissolve into fear when confronted by genuine strength; ethically, it suggests that confidence rooted in adharma is unstable and easily shaken.
Sañjaya describes the anticipated reaction of Duryodhana and the Kaurava host: upon seeing a particular formidable warrior, they will recoil and retreat, compared to small animals fleeing a lion.