Shloka 70
Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
प्राद्रयन् सहसा सर्वे भीमसेन भयार्दिता: । अनुयायाच्च कौन्तेय: पुत्राणां ते महद् बलम्,वे सब-के-सब भीमसेनके भयसे पीड़ित हो सहसा भाग खड़े हुए। कुन्तीकुमार भीमसेनने आपके पुत्रोंकी विशाल सेनाका दूरतक पीछा किया
prādravan sahasā sarve bhīmasena-bhayārditāḥ | anuyāyāc ca kaunteyaḥ putrāṇāṁ te mahad balam ||
Sañjaya said: Struck with sudden terror of Bhīmasena, all of them fled at once. And the son of Kuntī—Bhīma—pursued your sons’ mighty host, driving it far in flight.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma: courage and relentless pursuit in combat, contrasted with the moral and psychological collapse that fear can cause in an army. It underscores how inner states (bhaya) can determine outward outcomes in war.
During the fighting described by Sañjaya, the Kaurava forces (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons and their host) panic at Bhīma’s onslaught and flee suddenly. Bhīma, identified as Kaunteya, chases their large army as it retreats.