Shloka 63
भयातुरा एकरथौ समाश्रयं- स्ततो5भवत् त्वद्धुतमेव सर्वतः | तत्पश्चात् आपके और शत्रुपक्षेके सैनिक जब बाणोंसे फैले हुए अन्धकारमें कुछ भी देख न सके, तब भयसे आतुर हो उन दोनों प्रधान रथियोंकी शरणमें आ गये। फिर तो चारों ओर अद्भुत युद्ध होने लगा
sañjaya uvāca | bhayāturā ekarathau samāśrayaṃs tato 'bhavat tvadbhutam eva sarvataḥ | tatpaścāt āpake ca śatrupakṣe ca sainikāḥ yadā bāṇaiḥ prasṛte 'ndhakāre kiñcid api na paśyanti sma, tadā bhayāturāḥ tau dvau pradhāna-rathī samāśritāḥ | tataḥ sarvata adbhutaṃ yuddham abhavat ||
Sañjaya said: Stricken with fear, the warriors took refuge with the two foremost chariot-fighters. Then, on every side, a truly astonishing battle arose. After that, when the soldiers of both your side and the enemy side could see nothing at all in the darkness spread by volleys of arrows, they—overwhelmed by fear—crowded to the protection of those two leading champions; and from that point the fighting became wondrous and intense in all directions.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In crisis, ordinary fighters instinctively seek the shelter of capable leaders; the verse highlights battlefield psychology—fear, confusion, and the stabilizing role of principal warriors—within the larger frame of kṣatriya-dharma where courage and protection of one’s troops are central.
A dense ‘darkness’ created by showers of arrows makes visibility impossible for both armies. Terrified soldiers on both sides cluster around two leading chariot-champions for protection, and the combat escalates into an extraordinary, all-encompassing clash.