Shloka 17
Bhagadatta’s Astra and the Fall of the Prāgjyotiṣa King (भगदत्त-वधः / वैष्णवास्त्र-प्रसङ्गः)
तथा विक्षो भ्यमाणा सा पार्थेन तव वाहिनी । व्यशीर्यत महाराज नौरिवासाद्य पर्वतम्,नरेश्वर! कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनके द्वारा मथी जाती हुई आपकी वाहिनी उसी प्रकार छिजन्न- भिन्न होकर बिखर गयी, जैसे नाव किसी पर्वतसे टकराकर टूक-टूक हो जाती है
tathā vikṣobhyamāṇā sā pārthena tava vāhinī | vyaśīryata mahārāja naur ivāsādya parvatam ||
Sañjaya said: Thus, O great king, your army—being violently churned and shaken by Pārtha (Arjuna)—was shattered and scattered, just as a boat breaks into pieces when it strikes a mountain.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, the loss of unity and steadiness (saṅghāta/saṅghabala) leads to rapid collapse: when a force is thoroughly shaken by a superior warrior, it breaks apart like a fragile vessel against an immovable obstacle. Implicitly, it points to the tragic consequences of adharma-driven conflict—once order and cohesion fail, destruction spreads swiftly.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna’s assault has thrown the Kaurava host into turmoil; the army is splintering and scattering. The simile of a boat smashing against a mountain conveys the suddenness and completeness of the rout caused by Arjuna’s force.