Shloka 743
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
धृष्टद्युम्नमुखा वीरा घ्नन्ति शत्रूनू सहस्रश: । 'भीमसेनके बाणोंसे हतोत्साह होकर भागनेवाले कौरवमहारथियों तथा सहस्रों शत्रुओंको धृष्टद्युम्न आदि वीर मार रहे हैं
sañjaya uvāca | dhṛṣṭadyumnamukhā vīrā ghnanti śatrūn sahasraśaḥ |
Sanjaya said: Led by Dhrishtadyumna, the valiant warriors are slaughtering the enemy in their thousands. The Kaurava great chariot-fighters, their courage broken by Bhimasena’s arrows, turn to flee; and as they retreat in disarray, Dhrishtadyumna and the other heroes cut down both those foremost fighters and the massed ranks—showing how, in war, loss of resolve swiftly becomes ruin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the ethics of kshatriya warfare, steadfastness (dhairya) is decisive: when courage collapses and warriors turn their backs, defeat becomes inevitable and the fleeing side suffers heavy loss. The verse highlights the moral-psychological dimension of battle—resolve sustains dharma in action, while panic accelerates destruction.
Sanjaya reports that Dhrishtadyumna and other Pandava heroes are cutting down enemies in vast numbers. The Kaurava maharathas, demoralized by Bhima’s arrows, begin to flee, and in that retreat they are further slain by the Pandava vanguard.