Shloka 513
जवमुनत्तममास्थाय सर्वतः प्राद्रवन् भयात् । महाराज! थोड़े-से यवन शेष रह गये थे, जो बड़ी कठिनाईसे अपने प्राण बचाये हुए थे। वे अपने समुदायसे भ्रष्ट होकर अचेत-से हो रहे थे। उन सभी कवचधारी यवनोंको युयुधानने युद्धस्थलमें जीत लिया था। वे हाथों और कोड़ोंसे अपने घोड़ोंको पीटते हुए उत्तम वेगका आश्रय ले चारों ओर भयके मारे भाग गये
sañjaya uvāca | javam anuttamam āsthāya sarvataḥ prādravan bhayāt | mahārāja! alpaśeṣā yavanāḥ kevalā avaśiṣṭā āsan, ye mahākaṣṭena prāṇān rakṣitavantaḥ | te svagaṇāt bhraṣṭāḥ prāyaśo 'cetasa iva babhūvuḥ | tān sarvān kavacadhāriṇaḥ yavanān yuyudhāno raṇabhūmau jitavān | te hastaiś ca kaśābhiś ca svāśvān tāḍayantaḥ, śreṣṭhavegam āśritya, bhayāt sarvato 'palāyanta |
Sañjaya said: “O King, taking refuge in the utmost speed, they fled in all directions out of fear. Only a few Yavanas remained—men who had saved their lives with great difficulty. Separated from their own company, they were becoming as if senseless. Yuyudhāna had overcome all those mail-clad Yavanas on the battlefield; striking their horses with hands and whips, they resorted to swift flight and ran away on every side, driven by terror.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights a recurring epic ethic: when cohesion, courage, and clarity of mind collapse under fear, even armored warriors lose effectiveness. It implicitly contrasts disciplined valor (Yuyudhāna’s battlefield mastery) with panic-driven survival, showing how inner steadiness and organized conduct shape outcomes in war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that only a few Yavana fighters remain after being beaten by Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki). Dispersed from their unit and nearly senseless with fear, they whip their horses to maximum speed and flee in all directions from the battlefield.