Shloka 19
सा तथा पाण्डवी सेना पीड्यमाना महात्मना । निशि सम्प्राद्रवद् राजन्नुत्सूज्योल्का: सहस्रश:,महामना द्रोणाचार्यसे इस प्रकार पीड़ित हुई वह पाण्डव-सेना उस रातके समय सहसरों मशालें फेंक-फेंककर भीमसेन, अर्जुन, श्रीकृष्ण, नकुल, सहदेव, धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिर और धृष्टद्युम्नके सामने ही उनके देखते-देखते भाग रही थी
sā tathā pāṇḍavī senā pīḍyamānā mahātmanā | niśi samprādravad rājann utsṛjyolkāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Thus hard-pressed by that great-souled warrior, the Pāṇḍava host, O King, fled in the night—casting away thousands of blazing torches as it ran. Even before the very eyes of Bhīmasena, Arjuna, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Nakula, Sahadeva, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the army broke and scattered, revealing how fear and confusion can overtake even a righteous cause when confronted by overwhelming force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when a cause is aligned with dharma, victory is not automatic: discipline, cohesion, and leadership must be maintained. This verse highlights how fear can spread through an army under intense pressure, and how ethical resolve must be supported by practical steadiness in action.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍava forces, severely pressed by a powerful opponent, flee during the night, abandoning thousands of torches. The rout occurs despite the presence of major Pāṇḍava leaders—Bhīma, Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa, the twins, Yudhiṣṭhira, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna—who witness the army’s flight.