Shloka 40
तस्मिन् घोरे कुरुवीरावमर्दे कालोत्सूष्टे क्षत्रियाणामभावे । ते वै भग्ना: सहसा व्यद्रवन्त प्राक्रोशन्त: कौरवा: सर्व एव,कौरववीरोंका विनाश करनेवाला वह घोर संग्राम मानो क्षत्रियोंका अन्त करनेके लिये साक्षात् कालद्वारा उपस्थित किया गया था। उसमें विद्यमान सभी कौरवयोद्धा हतोत्साह हो निम्नांकित रूपसे चीखते-चिल्लाते हुए सहसा भाग चले
tasmin ghore kuruvīrāvamarde kālotsṛṣṭe kṣatriyāṇām abhāve | te vai bhagnāḥ sahasā vyadravanta prākrośantaḥ kauravāḥ sarva eva ||
Sañjaya said: In that dreadful crushing of the Kuru heroes—an onslaught as though Time (Death) itself had been unleashed to bring the Kṣatriyas to their end—all the Kauravas, their courage broken, suddenly fled, crying out in panic. The scene underscores how war, once it turns into indiscriminate slaughter, strips warriors of pride and resolve, reducing even great houses to fear and disorder.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming force of Kāla (Time/Death) in war: when violence becomes all-consuming, even renowned warriors lose steadiness and flee. Ethically, it points to the fragility of human pride and the tragic momentum of conflict that can eclipse dharma and discernment.
Sañjaya reports that amid a terrifying phase of battle—described as if Death itself had been unleashed—the Kaurava forces become demoralized. All of them, shouting and wailing, suddenly break formation and run away.