Shloka 266
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya
Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance
तव पुत्रेण संग्रामे विदुद्राव नराधिप । नरेश्वर! उस संग्राममें आपके पुत्रके चलाये हुए बाणोंकी मार खाकर पाण्डव-सेना इधर-उधर भागने लगी
tava putreṇa saṅgrāme vidudrāva narādhipa | nareśvara! us saṅgrāmameṁ āpake putrake calāye hue bāṇoṁ kī māra khākara pāṇḍava-senā idhara-udhara bhāgane lagī |
Sañjaya said: O king, in that battle, struck by the volleys of arrows discharged by your son, the Pāṇḍava host broke formation and fled in scattered directions.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of collective morale in war: even a strong force can scatter when struck by concentrated aggression. Ethically, it underscores how violence produces confusion and fear, and how leadership decisions in war directly shape the suffering and stability of many.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Dhritarashtra’s son (Duryodhana) shot powerful volleys of arrows in the battle, and the Pandava army, wounded and shaken, began to flee in different directions.