Shloka 4
यदा त्वसंगृहीतत्वात् प्रयान्त्यश्वा यथासुखम् | ततो दुःशासन: सूतं बुबुधे गतचेतसम्,जब रास छूट जानेके कारण घोड़े अपनी मौजसे इधर-उधर भागने लगे, तब दुःशासनको यह ज्ञात हुआ कि मेरा सारथि मारा गया
yadā tv asaṅgṛhītatvāt prayānty aśvā yathāsukham | tato duḥśāsanaḥ sūtaṃ bubudhe gatacetasam ||
Sañjaya said: When, because no one held the reins, the horses began to run about as they pleased, then Duḥśāsana realized that his sūta, the charioteer, had lost consciousness—effectively slain or rendered incapable—and the chariot was left without control.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a powerful warrior’s effectiveness depends on disciplined support and control; when guidance and restraint collapse (symbolized by the unheld reins), chaos follows, revealing the fragility of martial power and the ethical cost of war.
Duḥśāsana notices the horses scattering freely because no one is controlling them, and from this he understands that his charioteer has become unconscious or has been struck down, leaving the chariot effectively leaderless.