Shloka 30
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
तस्मिन् हते महाराज त्रस्तास्तस्य पुरोगमा: । गौतम समरे त्यक्त्वा दुद्रुवुस्ते दिशो दश,महाराज! सुकेतुके मारे जानेपर उसके अग्रगामी सैनिक भयभीत हो समरांगणमें कृपाचार्यको छोड़कर दसों दिशाओंकी ओर भाग निकले
tasmin hate mahārāja trastās tasya purogamāḥ | gautamaṃ samare tyaktvā dudruvus te diśo daśa ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, when he was slain, the troops who had been advancing in his van were seized by panic. Abandoning Gautama (Kṛpācārya) on the battlefield, they fled in all ten directions.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly morale collapses in war when a key figure falls: fear spreads, discipline breaks, and even respected leaders may be deserted. Implicitly it contrasts the ideal of steadfast kṣatriya conduct with the reality of panic-driven flight.
Sañjaya reports to the king that after a warrior was killed, the soldiers who had been leading the advance became terrified. They left Kṛpācārya (called Gautama) on the battlefield and scattered, fleeing in every direction.